People will remove Modi govt in 2019: Deve Gowda

The people will give their mandate in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and remove the Narendra Modi government, JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda said on Friday.

Gowda reached Kolkata during the day to attend Trinamool Congress' (TMC) mega rally on Saturday. Several other Opposition leaders such as Akhilesh Yadav, Sarad Pawar and former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Gegong Apang also reached the city to attend the rally.

"People will give their answer in 2019 and remove the Modi government," said Gowda.

Extending support to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Gowda praised her efforts to unite the Opposition parties and accused the BJP of making baseless allegations against her.

"She is taking so much pains. They (BJP) have made several charges to distract her. But they can't stop her like this... We have understood that Mamata Banerjee has taken all the initiative (to unite the Opposition),” said Gawda.

As for the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka, he said that "it is a stable government which will complete full five year term." He also said that in 2004, even as the JD(S) had a small gap in the number of seats with the Congress, he "let the Congress form the government." “...But even then I agreed to let the Congress form the government,” said Gowda.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav thanked Banerjee for sending a message to the country by inviting all Opposition party leaders.

"The country wants change, the country wants a new government... The country is waiting for a new prime minister,” he said.

Speaking to journalists, Apang refuted speculations that he may join the TMC after resigning from the BJP, and said that he will form his own party. “Let me make this very clear. I will form my own party,” he said.

However, all Opposition leaders avoided direct reply to the question as to who will be the prime ministerial candidate of the united Opposition.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who was in the city to attend an event said, "The 2019 Lok Sabha elections is not just another election, but a battle for India’s future and hence, all the Opposition parties must unite.”