Govt Will Work for 4 Yrs: Gowda Clears Air on Cong-JD(S) Alliance

The former PM had said that he saw mid-term polls as inevitable in Karnataka, indicating a collapse of the coalition

Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda.

(Photo: PTI)

Clearing the air about the "inevitability of mid term-elections" in Karnataka, Janata Dal (Secular) National President HD Deve Gowda on Thursday, 21 June said that the government will continue to function for the next four years as there's an "understanding signed with ally Congress."

Earlier in the day, the former prime minister had courted controversy after he said that he saw mid-term elections as inevitable in Karnataka, therefore, indicating a collapse of the coalition.

"I said it for local body elections and not assembly elections. I'm here to build my party. As the chief minister had mentioned, the government will continue for next four years and there is an understanding signed between JD (S) and Congress," Gowda said, when asked to clarify his remarks on mid-term election.

However, Gowda had also claimed that he was “not sure how long the government would last.”

The 86-year old veteran politician is yet to make a clarification on this remark.

Gowda’s remarks earlier in day came after Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that he was “going through pain everyday” – a clear indication that things were not well with the alliance partner Congress.

"I can't tell you the pain. From outside I may be the CM (chief minister). Every day I'm going through pain, but I ask you who'll solve the problems of the people," Kumaraswamy had said at an interaction with the people in Ramanagaram.

‘We Want Government to Stay’: Congress

Reacting to Gowda’s remarks, president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Dinesh Gundu Rao told a local TV channel that he was not sure about the former's comments on mid-term elections.

He further said that parties made compromises in a coalition and that the Congress did not want mid-term polls in the state.

"I don't know why Deve Gowda made this statement. He should clarify. In coalition there will be compromise that both parties should do. We are clear we don't want mid-term polls. We want the government to stay. All our developments are done in consultation with the CM."