The Hindu : National : Gowda says he has no desire to occupy PM’s post

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Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009
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Gowda says he has no desire to occupy PM’s post

J. Balaji

NEW DELHI: The former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) president, H.D. Deve Gowda, on Tuesday said that his party was a “natural ally” of the communists and it would maintain “equidistance” from the Congress and the BJP. He did not deny that the Congress made overtures to woo the JD(S) into its alliance recently.

Talking to The Hindu from Bangalore, he said he had joined the combination of the Left, TDP and other parties in the “third alternative” to save the countrymen who had been suffering due to the “failures and misrule” of the UPA and NDA regimes for the last 10 years.

The prime ministerial candidate of the third alternative would be decided after the poll, depending upon its performance. As far as he was concerned, he had no desire to occupy that post once again, he said. Rather he wanted to confine himself to the affairs of Karnataka and contribute to its growth since the present BJP government, “with the money and muscle power,” was indulging in activities affecting the welfare of the State.

To a question, Mr. Gowda said the prime movers of the “third alternative” were the Left Front and the TDP leaders and he had only a minor role. During the March 12 rally of the alliance near Tumkur in Karnataka, a committee would be formed with representatives of all the constituent parties to prepare a manifesto. It would be confined mostly to national issues and State-specific and sensitive subjects might be avoided, he said.

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