JD(S) should honour word: Venkaiah

New Delhi, Oct 5 (UNI) Rattled by the delay in transfer of power in Karnataka, the BJP today said it made a wrong assessment about aligning with JD(S) and trusting chief minister H.D Kumaraswamy.

In an interview to CNN-IBN to be telecast on Sunday, former BJP President M. Venkaiah Naidu who held several rounds of talks with JD(S) leaders on the question of trasfer of power, however exuded confidence that BJP's B.S. Yediyurappa would become next Chief Minister of Karnataka, "tomorrow, day after or in the near future." Mr Naidu agreed with the questioner that the BJP should have waited for the next election rather than to ally with JD(S). He however added that it was discussed with BJP legislators who did not want another election at that time.

"It was an experiment and it has gone against the BJP. The BJP made a "wrong assessment" about Kumaraswamy who had made a solemn assurance about the transfer of power to the BJP, and if he does not honour the agreement, then he will see what is going to happen in the future," the senior BJP leader said.

Refusing to accept that Karnataka experiment was a mistake on the part of BJP, Mr Naidu referred to the statement of Mr Yediyurappa who cited Mr Kumarswamy as saying: "I've nothing to do with the father, I am coming out, there is non-Congress blood in me." He also refused to concede that the BJP got trapped. "No question of trapping, after all its all an experiment," he added.

Mr Naidu ducked a question whether Mr L K Advani would be the BJP's prime ministerial candidate in next General Election. "Let the elections be announced, we will come out with the name of the leaders," he quipped, asking if they could pose similar question to the Congress who would be their leader--Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi.

On dissidence issue in Gujarat, Mr Naidu admitted there were some problem there but Chief Minister Narendra Modi would win the assembly election due in December with a thumping majority. "The BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi is going to sweep the elections, irrespective of what happens in between," he said.

UNI