CM Siddaramaiah meets former PM HD Deve Gowda at Bengaluru airport

BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Deve Gowda at the airport here on Sunday.

This was the first public meeting of both leaders after Deve Gowda’s JD(S) joined the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) last month.

Soon after the development, Karnataka Minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge opined that JDS should write to the Election Commission and drop the word ‘secular’ from their party’s name.

On September 22, Priyank Kharge, while talking to the reporters said that the word ‘secular’ from the JD (S) should be removed as the party has now joined hands with the BJP which the Congress leader accused of being the “most communal party” in the history of independent India.

He further said that there is nothing ‘surprising’ in the move of JD (S) joining the NDA as it was ‘evident’ that BJP central leadership lost their complete confidence in the state leadership after Karnataka polls.

#WATCH | Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah met former PM and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda at Bengaluru airport today. pic.twitter.com/H7Gx1QDex0

— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2023

“There is nothing surprising because if you see how BJP was moving lethargically after losing the elections in Karnataka, it was very evident that the BJP central leadership has lost their complete confidence in the state leadership…It is very evident that JDS is their primary partner and BJP has become the ‘B’ team for JDS. JDS should write to the Election Commission and drop the word ‘secular’ from their party’s name. Because at one point in time, you claim to be secular, and at the same time you are going ahead and joining hands with the most communal party in the history of independent India…” Priyank said.

He also said Congress will win at the state’s Lok Sabha seats.

“No matter how much brotherhood they show it will not make a dent in the fortunes of Karnataka. The Lok Sabha elections in the state will be won by the Congress party..,” the Congress leader added.

The JD(S) had aligned with the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, however, the parties faced a drubbing as the BJP swept 25 out of the 28 seats in Karnataka and even an independent candidate supported by the BJP won from the Mandya constituency. (ANI)