Cong-JDS alliance in Lok Sabha poll, says Deve Gowda, Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, October 20: Former prime minister and JDS supremo and Coordination Committee chairman and former chief minister Siddaramaiah jointly announced that the alliance of the Congress and JDS would continue even in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in order to keep the communal BJP away from the power and bring together all secular parties together.
Speaking in a joint press conference at a private hotel here on Saturday, the leaders said that the alliance would start from the by-elections to the three Lok Sabha and two Assembly constituencies and it would pave way for the victory in the next elections and exuded confidence that the coalition candidates would win in the by-elections.
The coalition leaders would jointly campaign in favour of the candidates and they would appeal the people to forgive their earlier mistakes. In many occasions, both Congress and JDS leaders have made allegations against each other. But now, they have come together in the interest of the country, they announced.
Locally, JDS and Congress leaders have to go together inevitably. For the benefit of the country, they have to unit and work together to defeat the communal BJP. Secular votes should not be divided. For the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress-JDS coalition was the foundation and the coalition would win all the 28 constituencies in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, they said.
After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, the economy of the country was at the low level. The BJP has completely failed to fulfill its promises made during the elections. Dalits, backward people, minorities and farmers were under distress. The Prime Minister has no time to listen to the problems of the farming community, they blasted.
BJP was equal enemy to both Congress and JDS. Workers of these two parties have never supported the BJP. Both the parties would fight together to defeat the BJP without any doubt, they announced.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar, KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister D.K. Shivakumar were present at the press conference.
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Sadananda Gowda expresses pain over factionalism in Karnataka BJP, urges central leadership to act
Bengaluru: Senior BJP leader D V Sadananda Gowda on Thursday expressed pain over factionalism in the Karnataka unit of his party and called it a " big tragedy". The former Union Minister also expressed displeasure over the party high command's delay in taking action, despite his letters and urged them to intervene and to act against those indulging in "indiscipline".
"There were Maharashtra and Haryana polls, as polls are a big challenge, it is natural to keep aside party issues in the states, where there are no polls, for later. So there may be some delay, but I don't think they will be silent," Gowda said responding to a question on factionalism within the party and high command's silence on it.
Addressing reporters here, he said, "However, there is truth in your question, because I have written two letters, one earlier and the other recently as dissent started brewing. But there was no reply for both, which made me feel that the central leadership was not paying attention to issues here." "It is a tragedy that Karnataka, which is regarded as the gateway for the BJP to south India, today has several doors (referring to groups within)," he added.
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A group of party leaders led by senior MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, that include BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi are critical of state leadership, especially President B Y Vijayendra, and are even holding parallel agitations over the Waqf land issue, after staying away from protests held by the party on the same issue. Yatnal and Jarkiholi have been openly critical of Vijayendra, accusing him of indulging in "adjustment politics" with the ruling Congress, and trying to keep the party in his clutches, along with his father and veteran leader B S Yediyurappa.
Recalling that there was much stronger groupism in the party earlier between the factions led by stalwarts, who built the party in the state -- late Ananth Kumar and Yediyurappa, Gowda, who had also served as the state president in the past, said, "but the rift never came to the streets then."
"In Karnataka BJP's history, this is the first time that the internal confusions within the party have come to the streets. This is painful. None of the so called self styled senior leaders of the party in the state, including me, are in a situation to set this right, while some are not even trying to set things right as it will benefit them, there are such leaders too in the party here. So high command has to intervene," he added.
Despite the ruling Congress in Karnataka giving issues to the opposition in a "golden bowl", Gowda said, the internal differences in the party is overshadowing it, and this has pained the party workers.
"Now I don't have any other responsibility other than being part of the party's core committee, but I'm pained looking at the situation of the party that gave me everything including positions of governing the state..... This is a big tragedy," he said.
Appealing to the party leadership to have a "serious look" at the party affairs in Karnataka before the Delhi elections, the former CM even requested them not to compromise on discipline. If action is taken against those who are wrong after detailed inquiry, the party will unite once again, he said. "People of the state want BJP."
Pointing to the saffron party's defeat in the recent by-polls in Shiggaon, Sandur and Channapatna assembly segments, Gowda said, people are not discussing Congress' maladministration, but division and groupism in the BJP. "Despite the BJP having good ideas and agenda, we lack a strong system to encash it." BJP's weakness of groupism has become Congress' strength, he added. Replying to a question on Yatnal and team not accepting Vijayendra as president, Gowda said, "The state president was appointed by the national leadership and that decision has to be accepted. If anyone has reservations about it, they should tell the leadership and not discuss it on the streets."
