In a major political assertion, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said contesting for lok Sabha elections along with their ally Congress will depend on how the century-old party will treat them. But he, however, said the pre-poll alliance with the Congress is still on the agenda. Kumaraswamy told the reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday that contesting together will depend on how Congress treats them.
“That is our agenda, it is there. let us see. Congress, how they are going to treat JD(S),” Kumaraswamy told reporters in response to a question about pre-poll alliance with the Congress with which it is running a coalition Government in the State.
Asked about the “mahagathbandhan (grand alliance),” he said “it will continue.” The Congress and JD(S), which formed a coalition Government after the May 12 Assembly polls threw up a hung verdict, had announced during the power sharing pact that they would fight the lok Sabha polls together.
Kumaraswamy who is also the JD(S) State president has made this statement which looks vague but a clever political assertion looking at the overtures of the Congress which started its unity move to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.
The Chief Minister’s comments gain significance at a time when reports suggest that there is growing Opposition within the Congress to the pre-poll alliance with JD(S) for lok Sabha polls.
Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in as Chief Minister on May 23 was attended by a galaxy of top leaders and regional satraps in a rare public show of unity perceived as a possible harbinger of a broad-based anti-BJP alliance ahead of the lok Sabha polls.
According to JD(S) leaders, the seat sharing with the Congress for the 2019 lok Sabha polls, especially in the old Mysuru region, is seen as a test for the coalition as both parties are considered arch rivals in the region, where they had bitterly fought against each other during the assembly polls. JD(S) fought vigoursly against the Congress in many places and any understanding would certainly suicidal for the Congress say many insiders of the party. Many Congress leaders who are opposed to Kumaraswamy have warned against going with the JD(S).
In another development, the Karnataka Government said there would be certain restrictions on the entry of visitors, including the media, to the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of State legislature and secretariat here. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy cited police inputs regarding security, as also increase in the number of people visiting it everyday besides complaints about inconvenience caused to Ministers and officials to carry out their work as reasons for the move.
“Some brokers are found moving around the corridors of Vidhana Soudha and they have been captured by CCTV also.
“I have asked officials to be alert about those who are involved in brokering and are misleading people. To avoid any unlawful activities, we have said there should be certain restrictions,” he told reporters. To a question about reports on media’s entry to the Vidhana Soudha being barred, he said there were no instructions to not allow the media inside, but there would be separate enclosure or a room provided for this.
“When you (media) need any information, officials or Ministers will come there and give you information...if you come with mikes everywhere individually and start asking questions just like that...it should not happen, there should not be any inconvenience,” he said.
Pointing out that media persons come to Ministers, including him, individually with mikes to gather information, Kumaraswamy said “When you come to us in Vidhana Soudha, we may be in meetings or in some other mood, suddenly if you come with mikes, what to tell you...we may not have information.”
With this intention, a separate facility would be provided inside Vidhana Soudha for “media friends” to carry out their work, he said, adding there are also complaints of only a certain section of the media getting access to information.
“To avoid all this, I have instructed that there should be a separate enclosure for the media with all facilities, so that the media can call whomever they want there and get information there,” he added.