Power-sharing pact fell apart in 2007 due to BJP's central leaders: HDK

Kumaraswamy said that he would not have raised the issue of the 2007 power-sharing deal here if BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal hadn't raised it

The Assembly on Thursday witnessed a heated exchange of words between the BJP and the JD(S) members after H D Kumaraswamy said that the power-sharing pact with the BJP of 2007 fell apart due to the ‘instigation’ of the saffron party’s central leaders.

While the BJP members and the JD(S) legislators were seen firing salvos at each other, B S Yediyurappa sat quietly through the session without speaking a word about it.

Speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s address, Kumaraswamy asserted that the power-sharing arrangement between the JD(S) and the BJP in 2007 fell apart due to the instigation of the central leaders of BJP. “Who came out with a plan in the BJP to force me to sign an agreement at the time of transferring of power to B S Yediyurappa? I was always ready to hand over the power,” he said.

Kumaraswamy said that he would not have raised the issue of the 2007 power-sharing deal here but for the BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who raised it again in the session.

“I am compelled to explain that it was due to BJP leaders that the coalition government fell apart. This was even endorsed by Yediyurappa during the 2013 Assembly elections, when he was forced to quit the party by central leaders,” Kumaraswamy pointed out.

At this juncture, several BJP members asked Kumaraswamy to focus more on the Governor’s speech instead of veering towards past events. The JD(S) legislature party leader hit out at the BJP leaders saying, “Then, why did the House allow the BJP members to speak about the emergency declared by late prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975?”

“Why are you stopping me from placing facts before the House? Yediyurappa is in the House, but he has not even responded to my statements. It is proof enough that BJP’s own leaders were the reason for the power-sharing pact falling apart in 2007,” he said.

Meanwhile, Holenarsipur JD(S) MLA H D Revanna slammed both the BJP and the Congress for dubbing JD(S) as ‘B’ team and family-run party. “Should I come out with a list of the number of Congress and BJP leaders and their families running their parties in their constituencies? Why are you so concerned about our family? Our family members contest elections and get people’s mandate, unlike in national parties,” he said.

Revanna added that whenever the Assembly elections throw up a hung verdict, the same parties who call us ‘B team’ come to us and make us ‘A team’.

“I dare parties not to come to our doorsteps if the Assembly elections present a fractured mandate,” he said.