JD (S) will contest local bodies elections independently, says HDD

In a clear indication of the Janata Dal (Secular) stand on contesting the local bodies elections in Karnataka, the party supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Friday said that the regional party would contest the local bodies election independently.

“The alliance with BJP in the State is for Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections. This alliance has worked well and will continue in future elections. However, the JD(S) will contest local bodies elections independently for the good of the party,” he told presspersons here. He also said that in the coming elections to four seats to Legislative Council, preliminary discussion to allow JD(S) to contest in one seat has taken place.

“Can we have discussion on seat sharing for local bodies election with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah? Wherever we have strength in taluk panchayats, zilla panchayats and urban local bodies, we will contest independently. The JD(S) will hold conventions on January 23 in Hassan and on January 18 in Bengaluru,” Mr. Gowda said.

His statement on alliance in the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly polls comes in the light of BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra predicting BJP to come to power on its own in the next Assembly elections. “In this regard, I will not say that the statement of BJP State president (B.Y. Vijayendra) is wrong,” he said.

Mr. Gowda’s statement assumes importance in the light of anxiety among the party cadre and leaders at grassroots over the extent of alliance with the saffron party in the State. JD(S) leaders are also opposed to any kind of electoral alliance at the local level, though it had been earlier indicated that there could be friendly fight with the BJP.

The former Prime Minister also took a swipe at the proposed AHINDA convention in Mysuru on January 25 by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s supporters. “What is the interpretation of AHINDA? What is the label on which AHINDA was done? I will not say that I identified Mr. Siddaramaiah. Let him only say (about it). Let him speak about me as much as he wants.” He also challenged the Chief Minister to debate on the budgets that he has presented and on the internal reservation matrix to the communities.

Mr. Gowda also expressed disappointment at the State Government’s attitude, and accused it of stonewalling Union Minister for Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy’s efforts for the welfare of the State. “The State Government is coming in the way of HMT’s revival by preventing use of land that had been given to it in the past. The attempts to revive Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Works in Bhadravati are being blocked by not cooperating in the supply of iron ore,” he alleged.