Rahul, HDK will sort out coalition problems: Gowda

Unruffled by former chief minister Siddaramaiah’s frequent barbs against the JD(S)-Congress government, JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Thursday said any problems in the coalition will be solved by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Congress president Rahul Gandhi through talks.

“It was the Congress that decided to forge an alliance with the JD(S) to form the government. What ever the problems in the coalition government, it will be solved through talks by Rahul and Kumaraswamy,” Gowda told reporters here.

However, Gowda refused to comment on remarks made by Siddaramaiah that the current Karnataka government will survive for only an year. “I don’t want to comment on his statement. It is his feeling,” the former prime minister said.

“Talks for the formation of government was held between JD(S) and Congress. It is Congress that constituted the co-ordination committee. The government is stable and will run as per the agreement between two parties, ” he said.

Gowda, who was here to attend the meeting of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, said that he has not met any Congress leaders. However, he said he will meet all non-NDA leaders soon for discuss on formation of the Third Front.

Earlier, when Siddaramaiah opposed Kumaraswamy’s proposal to present a full-fledged budget, the chief minister met Rahul and got his green signal. This has apparently irked state Congress leaders, who were surprised by Kumaraswamy’s move to keep direct contact with Rahul ignoring local leaders.

Some Congress leaders confided that such meetings will erode the significance of the co-ordination committee.

Gowda said that his party will share seats with the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections, despite having some small issues with the alliance partner in Karnataka.

“So far, there has not been any discussion on this issue... Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and Kumarswamy will discuss and finalise it,” he said.

Gowda said that his party was willing to give one Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka to its ally the BSP.

“In return, I will ask the BSP to give one seat in Uttar Pradesh to Danish Ali (who is JD(S) Secretary General). In Kerala, the LDF will give us one seat,” he added.