JD(S) will come back to power in Karnataka: Gowda

Bangalore, Jan 11 (UNI) Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (S) President H D Deve Gowda, exuding confidence of his party returning to power in Karnataka, today urged party workers to forget the past and work hard for strengthening the party.

Addressing party workers at the party's 'Pre-poll preparedness convention' here, he appealed to the workers to rejuvenate themselves to work for the success of the party in the coming mid-term elections to the State Assembly.

Announcing that he would undertake a two-month-long campaign in the State from January 18, Mr Gowda said he considered JD(S) as a party belonging to all sections of society and not confined to any particular caste, group or community.

Reiterating his stand on internal reservation, he declared that the party would distribute tickets to all communities and was committed to the cause.

Strongly defending his decision to pull down the previous Yeddyurappa Government in the state, Mr Gowda claimed that the statement of BJP leaders to convert Karnataka into Gujarat had led to its fall.

Alleging that efforts were being made to destroy the JD(S) in the State, he challenged his political opponents and said ''the design to decimate my party will not succeed''.

Mr Gowda announced that the party would hold its two-day National Executive Committee meeting in Bangalore on February 18. Party leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, recuperating after a cardiac surgery, would undertake a state-wide tour from February 20, he added.

Informing that the party would field its candidates in all the 224 Assembly seats, he predicted that there would be a multi-pronged fight in the elections, involving the JD(S), BSP, BJP, Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP).

He announced appointment of former Lok Sabha member C Narayanaswamy as the party's new State Working President.

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