But no Congress pact, snaps HD Deve Gowda
Mr Gowda has in recent months indirectly blamed Congress leaders particularly former CM Siddaramaiah for the collapse of the coalition government.
Bengaluru: Janata Dal(S) supremo and former PM H.D. Deve Gowda continued to strike a belligerent stance vis-a-vis the Congress asserting that his party will not join hands with the former coalition partner again adding that Chief Minister Mr B.S. Yediyurappa would be safe in his post for the remaining part of his tenure.
Mr Gowda has in recent months indirectly blamed Congress leaders particularly former CM Siddaramaiah for the collapse of the coalition government headed by his son H.D. Kumaraswamy in July.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday after the Supreme Court verdict on the petition filed by the disqualified MLAs, he said, ``Even if the Congress wins all the seats (15) going to polls, they will not be able to secure a majority in the assembly. The JD(S) is not going to join hands with the Congress again. For the next three and a half years, I will organise and strengthen the party. It is in this context that I said Mr Yediyurappa is safe.”
Reacting to Mr Siddaramaiah's reported statement, questioning the secular base of the JD(S) Mr Gowda wondered where Mr Siddaramaiah had his political grooming? ``The JD(S) was secular when he was with Gowda. After he went to the Congress, secularism left with him, is it? During the parliament elections, he made Mr Rahul Gandhi (former Congress president) issue statements against us,'' the JD(S) chief charged.