MYSORE: Janata Dal (Secular) MLA representing Hunsur Assembly constituency in Mysore, G.T. Deve Gowda, has claimed that the disgruntled sections in the BJP's state unit were not in a position to topple the H.D. Kumaraswamy-led Government in Karnataka.

Addressing a press conference in Mysore on Tuesday evening, Mr. Deve Gowda downplayed the support that suspended BJP MLC Janardhan Reddy was reportedly enjoying from a section of the BJP in Karnataka after his Rs. 150-crore bribery allegation against the Chief Minister and two Ministers.

The efforts of the disgruntled sections of the BJP to disintegrate the coalition would not fructify as the saffron party was tasting power for the first time in South India.

Mr. Gowda's remarks came when he was asked whether the support Reddy was enjoying from former Union Minister Basavaraj Patil Yatnal and BJP's state unit general secretary Aravind Limbavalli confirmed party supremo H. D. Deve Gowda's suspicion that a section of the BJP was trying to dislodge the coalition Government.

Mr. Gowda said the JD (S)-BJP coalition Government would complete its full term of 40 months. The "blackmail" tactics resorted to by adversaries of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy would not yield any results, he said.

Mr. Gowda said the Congress had been with Mr. Janardhan Reddy all along. "They are the ones, who brought him to the Legislative Council to make the charge and later escorted him back to Bellary," Mr Gowda said.

Bypoll

Mr. Gowda was optimistic that former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has joined the Congress, would bite the dust during the ensuing byelection to Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency. The party would field a suitable candidate, who could defeat Mr Siddaramaiah.

However, Mr. Gowda ruled out the possibility of himself contesting against Mr. Siddaramaiah.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail