Gowda sees no problems in transfer of power to BJP in Karnataka

New Delhi, Jan 6 (UNI) J D (S) supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda has said there would be no problem in the transfer of power to the BJP in Karnataka in the next ten months or so.

Mr Gowda said the policies and programmes of his party in 1999 (meaning equidistance from BJP and Congress shall be the basis for extending cooperation to the NDA at the Centre. "I have no reservations but it depends on the nature of issues," Mr Gowda told the RSS mouthpieces Organisr in an interview.

Reiterating his views expressed at the recently concluded Mr Kumaraswamy National Executive which revoked the suspension of Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and 38 other MLAs in the state, Mr Gowda said the only precondition was the coalition should strictly adhere to the agreed agenda of Karnataka Development Front.

The BJP, as a national party, was free to carry on its policies and programmes at the national level but should adhere to KDF, Mr H D Deve Gowda added.

Mr Deve Gowda's comments came after BJP President Rajnath Singh's declaration at Lucknow that Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will be the party's nominee for the Chief Minister's post in the last lap of 20 months of the present assembly.

On the possibility of mid-term poll in Karnataka, the former Prime Minister said there were no plans for such elections unless it was forced by national political events.

Mr Deve Gowda who aligned with Congress for the initial 20 months to run the government in Karnataka saw a a contrast in his party's relationship with the core constitutient of the UPA and the BJP for the last three years. The local Congress leaders had targetted him making all kinds of baseless allegations against him and tried to draw a wedge between the then Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and himself. When a BJP MLC sought levelled murky allegations, his party had suspended the legislators for fabricating charges in collusion with Congress leaders.

Answering questions on the revival of third front ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Mr Deve Gowda said national events would overtake all political predictions, whether one called it third front or polarisation or a new political platform.

UNI