H.N. Nanje Gowda

BANGALORE: The former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda should consider taking over as Chief Minister to ensure that Karnataka got justice in water and boundary disputes with neighbouring States, the former Minister H.N. Nanje Gowda said here on Thursday.

Mr. Nanje Gowda told presspersons that Mr. Deve Gowda could take a leaf out of Rajaji's book, since he had been Governor-General of India before he became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. "We need people who will put the State's case before the Union Government in a more assertive manner and ensure we get justice, instead of getting a reputation as a quarrelsome State," Mr. Nanje Gowda said.

The State had lost out on most issues, be it the sharing of Cauvery waters, the boundary issue with Maharashtra and Kerala or the conflict with Goa over Kalasa-Banduri nala, he said.

Mr. Deve Gowda should not waste his time in petty politics that show him in a poor light, and instead try to channelise his energy for the benefit of the State, he said.

Criticising Mr. Deve Gowda for what he termed as the former Prime Minister's penchant for running with the hare and hunting with the hounds, Mr. Nanje Gowda said Mr. Deve Gowda's one-point agenda at the moment seemed to be to "split the BJP" though the Janata Dal (S) and BJP were partners in the coalition Government.

The former Minister said Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy should have desisted from reacting to the dismissal of a public interest litigation petition in the Supreme Court against him and his family. "The Chief Minister's gloating over that the Supreme Court had given him a clean chit is baseless and sends the wrong signal," he said.

Bypoll

He said the former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah "should win" in the byelection to the Chamundeshwari Assembly seat. Mr. Siddaramaiah was the only Finance Minister of the State to have remained "clean" and scandal-free in several years, and he should be elected, Mr. Nanje Gowda added.

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