The “alliance” between the JD(S) and the BJP for the byelections on August 21 and 22 seems to be turning into a re-run of 2006, when JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda said “no”, but his son H D Kumaraswamy formed a coalition government with the saffron party.
This time too, former prime minister Gowda is making public statements that there will be no truck with the BJP. But a day after his father’s categorical “no”, JD(S) state president Kumaraswamy told Express on Tuesday that his main aim is to defeat Congress, with inside or outside support of “any party”.
Kumaraswamy said the Congress has been trying to finish his party politically since 2006. “I am not ready to comment on secularism or communalism. As I have already said several times, I do not regret forming a coalition government with BJP in Karnataka as Congress leaders tried to disintegrate my party,” he said.
However, he declined to comment on his father’s statements and instead went on the offensive against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The power struggle between Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy led to the former quitting the JD(S) in 2006, when Gowda indirectly supported his son.
Kumaraswamy sought to know what are the secular credentials of Siddaramaiah who, as the Opposition leader in the previous government, had travelled along with the then chief minister B S Yeddyurappa from Haveri to Suttur when elections were held for eight Assembly segments in the aftermath of ‘Operation Lotus’.
“Siddaramaiah, whose one-point agenda is to write off JD(S) politically, goes to the extent of meeting Karnataka Sarvodaya Party MLA K S Puttannaiah and Channapatna MLA C P Yogeshwar, who were denied Congress tickets, and seek their support to defeat JD(S) candidates in Mandya and Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituencies. Having done all these, Siddaramaiah has no moral right to comment on inside or outside alliance of JD(S) with BJP,” he added.
Kumaraswamy said the Congress has given ticket to D K Suresh, brother of Kanakapura MLA D K Shivakumar, who has 17 cases pending against him, including two related to violation of Forest Act.
“This holds up a mirror to the so-called principles and ideology of Siddaramaiah. The real fact was that Congress could not find suitable candidates for both Lok Sabha constituencies,” he charged.
“I need not take lessons from Siddaramaiah on secularism and communalism. The decline of the Congress will start after the Lok Sabha election results are announced. Instead of overhauling the administrative machinery, Siddaramaiah is more bothered about internal pact of JD(S) with BJP,” Kumaraswamy said.