Bengaluru, March 4 Janata Dal-Secular President and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Monday said that seat-sharing deal between his party and the BJP in Karnataka is in its final stages and should be completed in about a week.
Addressing reporters at the party headquarters J.P. Bhavan here, he said that his son and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had already held talks with the BJP leaders. Probably, if he sits for another time on the issue and discusses the matter, everything would be finalised, he added.
To a question on whether Kumaraswamy will contest the Lok Sabha polls, Deve Gowda said that in a week, the seat-sharing deal will be done and Kumaraswamy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief J.P. Nadda will discuss which constituencies the JD-S will contest from. The decision will be made whether Kumaraswamy should contest or not there itself, he said.
They (the BJP leaders) might also seek our opinion on issuing tickets to BJP candidates, and this would be given, he added.
"We will respect and follow the responsibilities of the alliance. We will work towards the BJP and the NDA winning in all seats," Deve Gowda stated.
He also said that once the elections are announced, a decision will be made on his tour programme. "PM Modi has rapid speed. He is travelling in different states. I will go and attend the programmes wherever I am called. Kumaraswamy and other leaders will also take up tours," he added.
About Mandya constituency, Deve Gowda said that the media is unnecessarily hyping the matter.
"The party is powerful there. Soon we will hold a massive rally in Mandya. Though I am aged, I won’t sit quietly," he asserted.
Sitting Independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, who has joined the BJP, has publicly stated that she will contest from Mandya no matter what and she is waiting for a decision from the BJP.
At this, Deve Gowda said: "Few persons are issuing statements at their whims and fancies and they are liberty to do so."
About the Bengaluru bomb blast incident, he said that the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) and Home Minister (Dr G. Parameshwara) are handling the case sensitively.
"I am observing their statements regarding the incident. I feel that the government is handling the case efficiently," he said.
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