‘JD(S) will survive even after my time, no one can finish it’: H D Deve Gowda

Bengaluru: Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda slammed critics on Sunday, stating that none could “finish” the regional outfit.

Speaking to reporters, Gowda said: “Former prime minister Morarji Desai gave me this party. Though Janata Dal split into several factions, this party still stands and will survive even after my demise. Take this in writing,”  Gowda said. He was speaking after launching statewide “Janarondige Janata Dala” (Janata Dal with the people) tour to strengthen the party and the “missed call campaign” for membership drive.

The tour begins on Monday and will be spearheaded by JD(S) state youth president Nikhil Kumaraswamy. Of late, the JD(S) has seen a slump in electoral prospects, slipping to merely 19 seats in the 2023 Assembly polls. 

They further lost the bypolls to the Channapatna seat (vacated by former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, who got elected as the Mandya MP and entered the Modi Cabinet), where Nikhil met his third successive electoral defeat.

Referring to the Channapatna bypolls, Gowda said: “I conducted 32 outdoor meetings during the Channapatna bypolls. Even then, we lost. One defeat cannot dampen our spirits.”

Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gowda said: “There is no other leader in the entire country who can stand up to him. That’s why we have allied with the BJP.”

White Paper

Kumaraswamy flayed Congress over the development initiatives taken in the Kalyana Karnataka region, widely regarded as the most backward region in Karnataka.

How many times the people of Gurmitkal made Mallikarjun Kharge the MLA? How many times he was a minister and Leader of the Opposition? He is now the LoP of the Rajya Sabha. Still there has been no development in Kalyana Karnataka, why,?” he sought to know.

Kumaraswamy urged the Congress to release a White Paper on the funds released for the development of Kalyana Karnataka region and the progress thus far.

Nikhil pointed out that the statewide tour was to rejuvenate the party. He pointed out that the initiative would be held for 58 days till August 16.