Shivamogga, Oct 24: Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) national president H.D. Deve Gowda has hinted that his party would support Congress president Rahul Gandhi if he aspires to become the Prime Minister of the country.
“Rahul Gandhi enjoys immense popularity among the youth and there is nothing wrong if he wishes to become the Prime Minister,” said Mr. Gowda, replying to a query from presspersons on the statement from senior Congress leader P Chidambaram that his party had never said that its president should be the Prime Minister if the Opposition alliance formed the next government at the Centre.
Mr. Gowda was in Shivamogga to campaign for the parliamentary byelection.
“Practically, there are only two national parties in India — the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. At present, it is inevitable for regional political parties that believe in the principles of secularism and cultural pluralism to rally behind the Congress that has the potential to take on the BJP. Let me tell you, without Congress, it is impossible to form an anti-BJP alliance,” he said.
Claiming that the JD(S)-Congress coalition in Karnataka has laid a solid foundation for the formation of Opposition alliance against the BJP rule in the Centre, he said that the result of the byelection for three parliamentary seats and two Assembly segments in Karnataka will be an indicator for the forthcoming general elections.
The leaders of parties that are part of the Opposition alliance, who had attended the swearing-in of H.D. Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister, had vowed to work with greater understanding against the BJP in the coming days. In the byelections held in various States following this, the BJP has suffered a setback, he said.
Referring to the claims from BJP leaders that Karnataka is the party’s gateway to South India, he said: “The JD(S) and Congress alliance will ensure that this gateway is shut permanently by defeating the BJP candidates in the byelection.”
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