Hassan: Making his intentions very clear, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Monday said that he would like to install a secular government at the Centre and added that “he would oppose fundamentalists from holding reins at the Centre.”
Speaking to reporters Deve Gowda said, “There must be a secular government. After the election results are out, regional parties would come to power at the Centre and Congress might extend support to the regional parties to form the government. If Congress bags more seats in the polls, then regional parties would sit and decide on supporting it to form the government.”
When asked, he said, “It is left to the Congress to extend support to the regional parties to form the government.”
Recalling the incident when he became the PM, he said, “I remember it was on May 12, 1996 that Congress party decided to support a person from the regional party with a secular image to be the Prime Minister. I did not go to them and we decide to form the government with Congress support on May 26, 1996.”
He said, “If regional parties fail to form the government then leaders would sit in the opposition with a concern to discuss on issues relating to nation.”
He reiterated that neither BJP nor Congress party would win 272 on its own strength and BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi would not become Prime Minister though he has been putting in a lot of effort.
