JD(S) to maintain equidistance from UPA and NDA

New Delhi, July 18 (UNI) Breaking its silence on the Presidential polls, the Janata Dal (Secular) today said it would continue to maintain 'equidistance' from the Congress and the BJP in tomorrow's Presidential polls.

In a statement, JD(S) President and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda said the party, after hectic wide ranging consultations with national leaders in Karnataka, had decided to 'strictly adhere' to an equidistance from both the UPA and the NDA. Technically, the JD(S) is still part of the UPA although its Karnataka unit is in alliance with the BJP.

Mr Gowda, avoiding the usage of the word 'abstention' in his statement, said the party had entered into an alliance with the Congress and the BJP not to burden the people of the state with frequent elections. It was purely a 'local arrangement' and the national party had maintained equi-distance with both the major political groupings. In Karnataka, the state level arrangement with the BJP was based on a 'development agenda' while committing itself to secularism and socialism.

Asked for her comments, NDA spokesperson Sushma Swaraj said after the EC's clarification, no party could issue a whip to abstain from voting and if it did, it would be viewed as an exertion of undue influence on voters under Section 171 C of the IPC (undue influence at elections). The NDA would seek votes from each MP and MLA to cast their votes including the JD(S), she added.

The JD(S) has four MPs and over 45 MLAs together accounting for about 16,000 votes in the electoral college.

UNI