By Faraz Ahmad, IANS
New Delhi : Former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda is confident that the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for next year, will be held this year.
“This is 100 percent an election budget. It is a clear indication that the elections are not far away,” Deve Gowda said in an interview to IANS.
And his confidence has only been boosted by the “pro-farmer” general budget Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presented in the Lok Sabha Friday, in which he waived off Rs.600 billion of farmers’ loans and announced sharp cuts in income-tax rates.
Deve Gowda, who heads the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), is an important factor in the politics of Karnataka. His party won 58 seats in the last assembly elections in 2004. It first supported a Congress-led coalition and then withdrew support to form a coalition government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But when it came to repaying the debt and supporting a BJP-led government, Deve Gowda dithered and eventually dashed the hopes of the BJP to form its first government in southern India.
Deve Gowda is equally sure of leading his JD-S to victory in upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka. Ruling out the possibility of aligning with either the Congress party or the BJP, he said: “There is no question of any alliance at this stage.”
In an age of coalitions, Deve Gowda is happy to stand in splendid isolation.
“I am expecting a clear mandate from the people of Karnataka,” Deve Gowda said.
“People have experienced both the Congress and the BJP, and they will vote for a party which worked hard and sincerely to provide them a good and caring administration.”
Asked to choose between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) or the Left and Third Front parties vis-à-vis parliamentary polls, Deve Gowda played it safe.
“I am only striving to provide my people in Karnataka, who have suffered a lot in the last 10 years because of the convoluted politics of the centre, a healthy and good administration,” he said.
But as far as Karnataka is concerned, the JD-S chief does not want to wait till the general elections. The term of President’s rule in Karnataka ends May 19 and he wants the state elections to be held before that. He does not want any extension of President’s rule.
“There is no problem in holding elections in Karnataka now. We want the elections as per schedule,” he said.
“An Election Commission delegation is coming to Bangalore next month. We will hand over a memorandum to them demanding that elections be announced at the earliest.”
What if attempts are made to prolong President’s rule in the state?
“Naturally I will oppose it.”
He hoped that the BJP would support him on this issue. “They are also pressing for early elections and we are also insisting on early elections.”
But he refused to keep his pledge and prop up a BJP-led government, causing the present political crisis.