MYSURU: Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy said on Thursday that the performance of the Janata Dal Secular (JDS) in the North Karnataka region in the coming elections will stun its political rivals who claim that his party is confined to the Old Mysuru region alone.
Participating in a meeting of JDS leaders and ticket aspirants ahead of launching his statewide yatra on November 1, Kumarawamy claimed that his party has bright chances of outsmarting the Congress and BJP in the Mumbai-Karnataka and Kalyana-Karnataka regions by winning 30 seats. He said many JDS leaders in Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Raichur and other places are striving hard to bring the party back to power in Karnataka.
Kumaraswamy observed that the Congress and BJP, which need the support of JDS in case of a fractured mandate, have mellowed down a lot in their approach to his party. He said the JDS is confident of coming back to power on its own with its Pancharatna programme of providing free education, health, housing, irrigation, and employment to the people. Kumaraswamy declared that he will dissolve his party if it fails to come to power. Recalling that the coalition government headed by him had waived farm loans, he said the JDS by winning 123 seats will ensure good governance.
Welcoming the election of veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge as AICC president, he said Kharge’s election will lead to another power centre in the state Congress. He hinted that his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy would be in the list of 126 probable candidates to be announced for the Assembly elections.
Unite to defeat Cong, BJP: Gowda to party leaders
JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda called for unity among party leaders to defeat both the Congress and the BJP. Gowda, recovering from a brief illness, flew down to Mysuru to attend the two-day workshop.
Claiming that unity in JDS would spell doom to both the national parties, the 92-year-old former PM said he would campaign actively not just to make his son HD Kumaraswamy the CM, but also to save the party.
He also slammed both the Congress and the BJP for taking credit for the hike in SC/ST reservation.
He challenged the BJP and Congress leaders for an open date on the issue of reservation. “They should know that it was me who gave reservation to Backward Classes, Minorities and women. I am not scared to tell the truth,” he said.
WILL STAY IN JDS, CONFIRMS GTD
Mysuru: It was reunion and a moment of relief when JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda along with former CM HD Kumaraswamy visited MLA GT Devegowda’s residence, who had distanced himself from the party, on Thursday. GT Deve-gowda was at loggerheads with Kumaraswamy, and had even warned that he will join Congress. Their lunch, for now, bridges the rift. “I call GTD ‘junior’ Devegowda’. GT Devegowda has been with us even before Sa Ra Mahesh came to us. To stifle the ascent of GT Devegowda, his loss in the MP election was engineered. Now, even he is not in our party,” said HD Devegowda, referring to former CM Siddaramaiah. GT Devegowda said, “Even though I was away from the JDS for three years, his (HD Deve Gowda) love towards me has not dampened. I will strive to bring JDS back to power and ensure Kumaraswamy becomes CM. I will remain in the party,” he said.