BENGALURU: Ruling out the possibility of forging a pact with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha polls, Janata Dal (Secular) chief H D Deve Gowda on Tuesday said that his party will go all alone into the polls.
Addressing a press briefing here, the former Prime Minister asserted the JD(S) will not go in for an electoral tie-up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “The JD(S) will never sink…We will fight the Parliament elections independently and will not take any help from any party. Let me be very clear. There is no question of aligning with anybody, we will fight the battle independently on our own”, he said.
Deve Gowda’s son and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said last week that his party will work together with the BJP against the Congress government on various issues, giving rise to speculation that the two parties joining hands for next year’s polls.
Earlier on Monday, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had alleged that the BJP and JD(S) leaders together are planning to “destabilise” the Congress government in the state. Talking to the reporters here, Shivakumar alleged that the leaders of the two parties have flown out to Singapore only to hatch a plan against the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka.
“The BJP and JD(S) leaders are trying to enter into a pact. They could not have a meeting in Bengaluru or in New Delhi and have now booked tickets to Singapore. Our enemies have become friends. I have information on people who have flown out (to Singapore) only to hatch a plan to destabilise the Congress government in Karnataka”, Shivakumar said.
Last Sunday, HD Kumaraswamy reportedly flew to Singapore for unknown reasons after conducting a press conference with the former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Last Friday, former chief ministers Basavaraj Bommai and HD Kumaraswamy held a joint press conference in Bengaluru and announced that they will work together against the Congress-led government in the state on various issues.
Both parties came along on the issue of deployment of the IAS officers at a hotel where the Opposition parties’ meeting was held on July 18. The BJP and JD(S) last Thursday submitted a memorandum to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot seeking a probe into the deployment of IAS officers. BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, along with MLAs of their respective parties met Governor Gehlot and handed over the memorandum to him. (ANI)