Putting an end to all speculation about a possible alliance with the Congress for the byelections in the State, JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and his son and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy officially announced that the party would go it alone in the October 21 bypolls to 15 constituencies.
Addressing presspersons here soon after the bypolls were announced on Saturday, Mr. Gowda said Mr. Kumaraswamy suffered a lot when the JD(S) was in alliance with the Congress. “He will not repeat that mistake,” he said. Meanwhile, in Mysuru, Mr. Kumaraswamy declared that the party would contest in all 15 constituencies. “We have been holding meetings with party workers in all the districts for the past three months. And it is the unanimous opinion of party workers that we should not get into an alliance with the Congress again. We respect the workers’ opinion. Tomorrow, I have convened a meeting of leaders and we will discuss possible candidates for the bypolls,” he said.
The former CM added, “Already there is confusion in the Congress over the selection of KPCC president and Opposition leader in the Assembly. In such a situation, let them not be worried about stitching another alliance with us.”
Addressing a party workers’ meeting in Mysuru, he referred to the drubbing the two parties received during this year’s Lok Sabha elections, which they had fought together. “It will be better to have a friendly fight than have [another] poll alliance,” he said.
He also predicted the collapse of the BJP government soon after the announcement of the bypoll results. He reasoned that the BJP government would not be able to continue if the Congress and JD(S) win more seats than the saffron party.
Incidentally, former Minister G.T. Deve Gowda, who has been attacking Mr. Kumaraswamy lately, stayed away from the party meeting in Mysuru.
