Sadananda Gowda terms Grama Vastavya a 'gimmick’, hints at BJP's alternative plan in Karnataka

New Delhi, June 03: The BJP as the single largest party in Karnataka would find an "alternative" if the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition collapses on its own, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers DV Sadananda Gowda said Monday.

Asserting that there would be no politics on development, he said ministers from Karnataka in the Modi administration would work in the interest of the state.

"Let them (Congress-JDS) do whatever they want here (in the state), we are in favour of the development of the state, we will not make any attempts to topple this government. If it falls on its own, we are not responsible," Gowda said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "if they (Congress- JDS government) fall on their own, we as a party, as a single largest party- it is our responsibility to find an alternative.With that political view we are working."

Dismissing the charge that the BJP was trying to weaken the coalition government, the saffron party's state president BS Yeddyurappa too on Friday had said central leaders have asked the state unit not to indulge in any activity to "destabilise" the H D Kumaraswamy ministry.

The coalition's worries have multiplied after the BJP's spectacular win with 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in its pocket, leaving a mere one seat each to the Congress and JDS, which, despite a joint fight, were swept away by the Modi wave.

Calling the "Grama Vastavya" initiative of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy a "gimmick," Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda on Monday said it was a ploy to shift focus from the 'bickerings' in the Congress-JDS coalition.

Sadananda Gowda's comments come a day after Kumaraswamy announced he would resume his "Grama Vastavya" (village stay) programme to find out challenges the state's rural areas are facing.

"Earlier, he (Kumaraswamy) used to go to villages and stay there, but none of the villages had been taken care of by the then government, and now, he faces a big challenge of saving his crumbling government, therefore he wants to shift focus from it," the Union Minister told reporters in Bengaluru.

HD Kumarswamy will start his Grama Vastavya (staying in villages) from June 21 and will first visit Gurmitkal in Yadgir district.

The chief minister had initiated the programme to interact with villagers during his previous tenure as chief minister, which lasted from February 2006 to October 2007.