HD Deve Gowda clarifies that he would not interfere in the Karnataka administration.

Bengaluru: A day after he held an unofficial meeting with senior officials including Chief Secretary K. Rathna Prabha and DG and IG, Neelmani Raju, former Prime Minister and JD (S) supremo, H.D. Deve Gowda on Tuesday clarified that he would not interfere in the state administration.

On Tuesday, Deccan Chronicle carried a photograph of Mr Gowda holding an informal discussion with top bureaucrats of the state government including DG and IG Neelmani Raju and other police officials with uniform on.

The photo has gone viral with netizens trolling both the Congress and JD (S) leaders asking, "Is this the victory of democracy?" Mr Gowda was dubbed "the super CM" when late Dharam Singh was the CM and when his son was the CM.

Realising that the picture had dented the image of the coalition and gave unnecessary ammunition to the opposition BJP, Mr Gowda said he had no intention to itntervene or interfere in the administration.

He was also quick to squash speculation raised by a section of the vernacular media that said that Mr Gowda opposed the induction of M.B. Patil and D.K. Shivakumar as deputy chief ministers.

“I have heard media reports that I am against D K Shivakumar's induction into the ministry. I want to clarify that who should be made chief minister, deputy chief minister, who should be given what portfolio from the Congress, ... I will not interfere on this issue," H. D Deve Gowda told reporters here. "What I want is smooth functioning of this government. Other than that I will not be interfering into any other thing," he said. "I have nothing to do with it, I'm not interested. It is left to them (Congress), why should I interfere," he asked.