At an interaction with the media, which was organised by the Karnataka State District Newspaper Editors Association, Mr Dore Raju, who along with the editor of a Kannada eveninger played a key role in forming the coalition government by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular), JD(S) admitted that Deve Gowda had laid some conditions for extending support to BJP, even before both parties came together to form the government on October 28.

 “But putting these conditions on the stamp paper was not discussed. Moreover, these conditions had been altered five-six times with the intention of making things difficult for the BJP to accept them,” he observed, adding that the BJP had agreed to all but three conditions.

Dore Raju regretted that while both the parties were interested in keeping such portfolios as Home, Mines and Geology, Urban Development, Power and PWD, none was interested in such important portofolios as Housing, Food and Civil Supply and Health and Family Welfare.

Not interested
Dore Raju expressed the view that after completition of 20-month tenure as chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy was not interested in handing over the power to B S Yeddyurappa as agreed.

“Kumaraswamy phoned me and asked me to convince the BJP leaders to allow him to continue in office for three more months. But when the BJP leaders did not agree to this, he requested for allowing him for at least one month,” Mr Dore Raju added.