The Uttar Pradesh election results have once again triggered calls for opposition unity to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 general elections. Speaking exclusively to CNN-NEWS18, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda lashed out at the Congress and ruled out any tie-up with the grand old party.
You have seen the remarks made by Mamata Banerjee against the backdrop of the Uttar Pradesh election results. She says all opposition parties should unite to counter the BJP. She says the Congress is not interested in this. How do you view the situation?
Congress is not interested, all other regional secular parties should come together and move forward. That’s the only way…Now in Tamil Nadu, Stalin is a very strong leader. Mamata Banerjee is a strong leader. Sharad Pawar is a strong leader. Naveen Patnaik has won four times. I can go on. If Congress is not interested, let them contest all the 545 seats on their own. Who bothers?
Do you think they are not interested, looking at how they have approached alliances in UP?
I haven’t spoken to anybody. I am not interested. Twice I have tried my best and failed. I am not interested.
Do you think an opposition front is possible without the Congress?
If the Congress is not interested, why should I expect Mamata Banerjee to go to the doors of the Congress? She is the strongest leader and she gave an offer. The Congress is not interested.
Would you approach other leaders to build an opposition front?
I am not interested. I am only interested in Karnataka. It’s my commitment to strengthen this party (JDS) in Karnataka. It is very difficult to take a stance nationally. How many seats will I win in Parliament? If I get substantial strength, then I can win some seats in Parliament. It all depends on the 2023 assembly polls.
The other allegation coming after the UP elections is that EVMs were tampered with. This is something other political parties have spoken about earlier. Many have asked for paper ballots to be brought back. How does the JDS respond to this?
This has been going on for the past several years. Two national parties should take a tough stance, regional parties can’t do much. My party wrote a letter asking to go back to the ballot system but nobody supported it in the all-party meeting, including the Congress.
You have known the Gandhi family for a long time. Now there are murmurs within the Congress and outside, demanding that the Congress leadership be handed over to any capable leader who is not from the family. What’s your opinion?
I don’t think that type of proposal will bring back the Congress to power.
Are you saying the leadership of the Gandhis is inevitable for the Congress?
No. I am not saying they are inevitable. I can’t say that now.
Will the JDS look for a pre-poll alliance for the Karnataka assembly elections 2023?
No pre poll, no post poll…We want to strengthen the party and come to power on our own. We have had bitter experiences with the Congress.
So no post-poll alliance as well?
They are not bothered, why should I bother? We are struggling to build the party…but no alliance.
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