JD(S), Cong should follow coalition dharma: Khandre

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Working President Eshwar Khandre on Wednesday said both the JD(S) and the Congress should follow the coalition dharma in order to keep the communal BJP away from power.

Speaking to reporters after attending a meeting of KPCC's OBC wing, he said, "Both the coalition partners should work for the victory of each other’s candidates in the elections. That is the coalition dharma. Leaders of both the parties have agreed to go together in the coming Lok Sabha polls and we all have to abide by it."

Khandre’s statement has come in the wake of a section of Congress leaders opposing the party having a pre-poll alliance with the JD(S) in the Lok Sabha elections. Some leaders of the party from Hassan district had even warned that they will not work for the JD(S) if it decides to give away the Hassan parliamentary seat to the regional party as part of the seat-sharing agreement.

State Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao said though the previous Congress government had done a good work, the electorate did not support the party as expected. The Congress workers should make use of the coalition government to strengthen the party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has failed on all fronts. He has been trying to wipe up the emotions of people. Attacks on Dalits and minorities have increased ever since the BJP came to power at the Centre. Only Congress president Rahul Gandhi has the ability to counter Modi, Rao said.