The Hindu : Front Page : Deve Gowda, saying son was `tricked', banks on MLAs

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Wednesday, Feb 01, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Deve Gowda, saying son was `tricked', banks on MLAs

S. Rajendran

Expects "slip between the cup and the lip"

H. D. Deve Gowda

Bangalore: Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Deve Gowda told The Hindu on Tuesday that he was confident that his son and rebel party leader, H.D. Kumaraswamy, and the JD (S) MLAs supporting him would pull out of the understanding with the Bharatiya Janata Party to form a government in Karnataka. Saying that his son had been "tricked into associating himself with the BJP," he warned that if his group went ahead, he would fight to revive the JD (S), treating both the BJP and the Kumaraswamy group as "the party's rival."

In an interview to The Hindu, the first to the media after the political crisis surfaced in Karnataka, the former Prime Minister maintained that he was neither a party to his son's understanding with the BJP nor did he motivate his son to align with the BJP. "I will not associate with communal forces either in my dreams or even on my death bed."

Mr. Gowda, who reminded his interviewer that he declined the support extended to him by the BJP when the United Front Government was on the verge of collapse in April 1997, said he was still confident about the proverbial "slip between the cup and the lip" before the scheduled swearing-in ceremony of Mr. Kumaraswamy on Friday. The Chief Minister-designate called on his father on Monday and attempted to win him over, along with his brother and outgoing Minister for Public Works and Energy, H.D. Revanna.

The JD (S) legislators led by Mr. Kumaraswamy are expected to call on the patriarch on Thursday in yet another attempt to seek his blessings for the coalition government. Mr. Gowda made it clear he would use the opportunity to persuade them that the understanding would spell doom to the JD (S) in the State in particular and the country as a whole. As against some short-term benefits, the understanding would wipe out the JD (S), which has been built ``brick by brick" over the past six years.

Mr. Gowda told The Hindu he would appeal to the JD (S) legislators to return to his fold and if they failed to do so, the party would be compelled to initiate disciplinary action against them. The action would be ratified by the party's National Council, which was expected to meet shortly. "The JD (S) cannot be hijacked into associating itself with another party, which is to the liking of only a group. While people think that I will meekly surrender by retiring from active politics, I will do my best to revive the JD (S) and, apart from the BJP, the Kumaraswamy group will also be the party's rival. The party's main strength is not the legislators but the workers at the grassroots. It is these foot soldiers who will work with me to consolidate the JD (S)."

The former Prime Minister told his interviewer that it was quite apparent that his son had been "tricked into associating himself with the BJP" and was now finding it difficult to wriggle out of the understanding with the communal party. Information available to him shows that Mr. Kumaraswamy was in touch with some local BJP leaders only to extract a bargain from the Congress and had never really wanted to be a part of an arrangement with the BJP. "The BJP is capable of tricking people and they have done it with my son. Over the past few days, the senior BJP leaders, M. Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar, called me up and sought my blessings for the government. Initially I even refused to speak to them and later categorically told them I would not permit the JD (S) to associate itself with the BJP. I spelt out my stand in unequivocal terms."

Mr. Gowda said mid-term elections were the only answer under the present circumstances since the JD (S) had been humiliated continuously over the past 20 months by the Congress. The dissatisfaction among JD (S) legislators had to do largely with the association with the Congress as that party did not care to abide by the Maharashtra pattern of power-sharing. The expansion of the Dharam Singh Ministry took place seven months after it was constituted. Moreover, until the recent collapse of the coalition government, the Congress did not care to appoint chairmen for boards and corporations. JD (S) activists in the districts were beaten up using the police machinery. After the recent panchayat elections, attempts were made to divide the JD (S) by luring away legislators. Mr. Gowda gave credit to Mr. Kumaraswamy for maintaining the unity of the legislators under the circumstances.

Mr. Gowda told The Hindu: "There are still 72 hours for the party MLAs to retrace their steps. Knowing them well, I am confident they will care for my words. They have taken a hasty decision thus far. I am sure good sense will prevail and they will return. I have struggled for the victory of each one of the MLAs and hope they will remember that."

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