Gowda rules out tie-up with Samjwadi Party

Mysore, Mar 23: Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) National President today ruled out possibility of having tie-up with any political party, including Samajawadi Party, in the elections to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

"There was no question of having alliance with any party at the moment and I have been telling about it since the beginning. The party would contest all the 224 seats", Mr Gowda told newsmen here. When his attention was drawn to a statement by Samajawadi Party State President and former Chief Minister S Bangarappa about chance of having alliance with JD(S), Mr Gowda not giving a direct reply said that " I have great respect to Mr Bangarappa and even he had sympathy for his (Mr Gowda) defeat in 1989 elections when he (Mr Bangarappa) was in Congress. I have no information what Mr H D Kumaraswamy has said on this issue. However, party's State Political Committee would decide the future course of action".

Mr Gowda said that a nine-member committee headed by his son Kumaraswamy would be formed soon and the Committee would decide about selection of candidates for the Assembly elections. "There is no question of taking one sided decision on allotment of seats", he added.

UNI