No coalition with Congress, says Deve Gowda

Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda ruled out any coalition with the Congress.

"However, the JD(S) is open for a coalition with the Left parties," he added.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, he said, "If the Left parties are open, we will share seats for contesting in the upcoming Assembly election. Otherwise, the JD(S) will contest from all the 224 constituencies in the election. I have burnt my fingers by supporting the Congress in 2004. Right now, there is a proposal before the JD(S) to enter into a coalition with the SDPI. For a small mistake committed by H D Kumaraswamy by entering into an alliance with the BJP, he is repenting even to this day."

Strengthening work

Speaking further, Deve Gowda said, "The JD(S) is not strong in Dakshina Kannada. All efforts are being made to strengthen the party in all the 30 districts in Karnataka. A mega convention will be organised in Mangaluru in the second week of February. We had planned to hold a peace march in Mangaluru last year, but due to imposition of Section 144 (in mid-2017), we decided against it. We will now hold a party conference."

Taking a dig at the Congress and the BJP, he said there are more issues and not communal problems to discuss. "I do not wish to politicise communal issues. My party has its own principles, based on which we work for the society. Besides communal issues, there are a lot of burning issues to discuss. We have strongly expressed our views on Cauvery and Mahadayi issues, and problems being faced by farmers in the state."

Modi's silence

Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, "I respect Narendra Modi and his office, but it does not mean I have a soft corner for him. I had appealed to Modi to solve the row over Cauvery and Mahadayi, but he chose to remain silent over the issue."

Referring to the controversial statements by Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde, he said, "Modi has experience of being chief minister for two terms and now he is the prime minister of India. He should give proper guidance to his ministers."

February-end

To a query on candidates, he said that the list of candidates will be finalised by February-end. "If we come to power, then we will not allow communal violence to crop up in the state. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has realised that the Congress is losing its power in the state," said Deve Gowda.

On Y S V Datta being sidelined, he said that Datta has been given responsibility of manifesto. He has not been sidelined. He has a bright future as well.

On two JD(S) legislators, Manappa Vajjal and Shivaraj Patil, who quit to join the BJP, Deve Gowda said that the JD(S) has already filed a complaint to Speaker K B Koliwad seeking their disqualification under the Anti-Defection law.