K'taka: JD(S) decides not to vote in Prez polls

Bangalore, Jul 18: Triggering a shock on its coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party, the Janata Dal (secular) today decided to abstain from the presidential elections tomorrow.

In a statement here Party President and former Prime Minsiter H D Deve Gowda said sticking to its policy of maintaining equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress, it had chosen not to vote in favour of either UPA candidate Ms Pratibha Patil or Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, an independent supported by the NDA.

Mr Gowda said, ''The party will not issue any whip to its MPs or MLAs. They will, however, strictly adhere to the party's consistent stand of maintaining equidistance from both UPA and the NDA.'' BJP National President Rajnath Singh had met Mr Gowda in New Delhi today, while Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and BJP state unit President D V Sadananda Gouda met the JD(S) supremo in Bangalore yesterday but failed to woo him to vote for Mr Shekhawat.

Mr Gowda decision to this effect was taken at national executive meeting which had decided to maintain equidistance from both Congress and the BJP at the national level.

''However due to unavoidable circumstances and with a view not to burden the people of Karnataka with frequent elections, the party had entered into alliance with both Congerss and the BJP from time to time. This had been purely a local arrangement'', he said.

In Karnataka the present state level arrangement with the BJP was based on the Karnataka Development Front agenda which was committed to both secularism and socialism, he clarified.

UNI

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