NewDelhi: Even as Congress president Rahul Gandhi termed Janata Dal (Secular) as “B team” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), JDS chief HD Deve Gowda has said that they are ready for a pre-poll alliance with the Congress in Karnataka elections. “If the Congress has alliance proposes, JDS will give full cooperation. Let the Congress tell us how many seats will they give us, later we will decide how many seats should we give them. Let us discuss the matter with the Congress party and let us decide on it” the JDS chief said.
However, he categorically stated that there will be no post-poll alliance with the Congress. “There will be no post-poll alliance except with Mayawati,” he said.
The BSP and the JD(S) have announced that are contesting the Karnataka Assembly polls together. The alliance will also continue in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BSP will be contesting from eight reserved and 12 general Assembly constituencies spread across 14 districts of the state. The JD(S) will fight for the remaining 204 seats, aiming to form a government under the leadership of JD(S) state chief HD Kumaraswamy.
Deve Gowda also said on Tuesday that if the Samajwadi Party asks for a seat, JDS will also be willing to give up some seats.
Not paying any heed to Rahul’s statement, Deve Gowda said they will wait and watch if Congress proposes an alliance. “When Siddaramaiah was Deputy CM and Dharam Singh was CM, we were team B for Congress. Now again whether we become team B for Congress or Congress will become team B for JD(S), we will watch,” he said.
Addressing a rally in poll-bound Karnataka, Rahul had said “JDS is supporting BJP from behind. They feel that people of Karnataka will not come to know and they cant understand.” He added that whatever the combinations are, only Congress will win in Karnataka. “Let RSS A team, B team, C team, D team, E team join hands, it makes no difference, Congress is going to win,” he said.
The Election Commission on Tuesday announced the polling dates for the 224-member Karnataka assembly. The voting for the elections will be held on 12 May, 2018 and counting will be held on 15 May, 2018.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply