Deve Gowda vows to prove relevance of JD(S) in state

Bengaluru: Former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda has called upon the BJP and JD(S) workers to unite at the grassroots for defeating  the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing the maiden joint coordination committee meeting in Bengaluru on Friday, Gowda said that even at the ripe age of 91 years, he would tour the state and prove the relevance of the JD(S) in this election. Extending a word of caution to both BJP and JD(S) leaders, he said that the BJP’s wish of winning all the 28 seats will not be realised unless leaders from both the parties forget the past and work unitedly.

“Since four days, I have been camping in Hassan, and all of us know what is going on there. There are more such seats across the state, where both parties need to have cohesiveness to defeat the Congress,” he said. Without taking any names, he subtly hinted that rivalry between the JD(S) and the BJP could affect the outcome in Hassan.

Outlining BJP veteran B S Yediyurappa’s role in the forthcoming elections, Gowda said no doubt Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s victory is assured in the Lok Sabha polls. But his popularity alone is not enough to ensure the victory of candidates.

“We need leaders like Yediyurappa, Kumaraswamy and several others to work hard to convince workers of both parties to bury their past and win the elections. Surely, both Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have the capacity to solve the country’s problems. But smaller problems emerge at the constituency-level and need the support of local leaders. Every problem can’t be taken to Modi and Shah,” he elaborated.

Accusing the state Congress of funding its candidates across the country, he said the Congress has already begun to pump money in an unprecedented manner, which neither the JD(S) has, nor the BJP can expect from PM Modi. “The Congress party’s unscrupulous methods are already in full display in the Mandya Lok Sabha and Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha seats, where ugly display of money and muscle power is open. Both BJP and JD(S) lack funds to match resources in the state,” he said.