Ballari: Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) party supremo Mr HD Deve Gowda said that the byelection to three Lok Sabha seats and two assembly seats in Karnataka and the assembly elections in five states are a "test" for secular forces against the "communal" BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha general elections.
"Regional parties have joined hands with the Congress party only to defeat the communal force- BJP.
Here, in Karnataka, both JDS and Congress have been working together forgetting our differences to defeat the BJP", he said.
Mr Gowda said, that in the recent 13 by-polls held in the state, secular forces-the Congress and JD(S) had won 12 seats and the BJP won only one seat.
" I'm hopeful that secular forces will win all five seats in this November 3 by-poll ", he said.
Reacting to a question that Mr Deve Gowda is showing more " affection" towards Congress leader and water resources minister Mr D.K. Shivakumar, the former prime minister refused to comment saying "I don't want to take personalized questions".
At this juncture, Mr Shivakumar intervened and asked press persons not to ask local questions, since the press conference was being addressed by none other the former prime minister.
