We have washed away the sin of joining hands with BJP in 2006: Deve Gowda
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The Janata Dal(S) believes that it has finally got over the ‘hangover’ of its short-lived alliance with the BJP in 2006-07 which resulted in its shock defeat in the 2008 Assembly polls over the betrayal of B.S. Yeddyurappa and even drove the minorities away from its fold.
At least JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda feels so and announced at a public rally of minorities on Sunday that the sins of his son, H.D. Kumaraswamy, who joined hands with the BJP, have been washed away and pointed to the massive attendance at the rally as proof of this.
“There were circumstances which forced Mr Kumaraswamy to join hands with the BJP and form a government. I feel that today, the mistake our party committed by joining hands with the BJP, has set right. The presence of religious leaders at the convention is testimony to this fact,’’ the former PM said.
The convention was also meant to be a poll launchpad for the party with the Assembly polls hardly 10 months away Newly elected JD(S) MLC S.M. Agha was honored during the convention, which was organized by JD(S) MLA Zameer Ahamed Khan.
Apart from wooing the minorities, Mr Gowda did not forget to woo other communities, including the Lingayats and recalled the various quotas and benefits he had extended to them when he was CM. “As chief minister, I had extended five per cent reservation to Veerashaivas and only four per cent reservation to my own community, the Vokkaligas. People say I am against the Veerashaivas. They should know these facts,’’ he said.
Taking a dig at the BJP for isolating the minorities from the mainstream, Mr Gowda said the government did not appoint any Muslim to the KPSC selection board. “Look at the number of Muslims in government service,’’ he said while referring to their scant presence.
Mr Kumaraswamy, now the JD(S) state president, did not lag behind his father in trying to get rid of the blemish of tying up with the BJP. He cited the example of Uttar Pradesh and said both Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party had to join hands with BJP at different junctures.
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