Sharp and focused even at 84, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Deve Gowda is once again in the limelight for his perceived role as the “kingmaker” in Karnataka politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public praise for the socialist veteran has only strengthened talk of the BJP’s alignment with the JD(S) in the event of a hung Assembly. In a freewheeling interview with BusinessLine , Gowda was ambivalent on an understanding with the BJP, soft on Modi and clear in his contempt for his one-time protégé, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Excerpts:

Do you think communal polarisation is a big issue, and that the BJP is responsible for dividing people on religious grounds?

I will tell you how one settles these issues. There was trouble at the Idgah Maidan when the BJP accused Muslims of not respecting the national flag. I told the local Muslims to simply counter this propaganda by hoisting the national flag. The matter ended. The problem is that no one is sincere. I recall my friend [DMK President] M Karunanidhi’s words that the Congress and the BJP have an “evil design”. Both the Congress and the BJP are two hundred per cent equally responsible for communal polarisation. The Congress has failed to stop this. For the last one year, unfortunate incidents are happening in the coastal belt and nine people have been killed. Siddaramaiah is heading the government. To what extent has the Home Ministry succeeded in preventing these incidents? Let me be very frank, the State government is allowing these things to happen. I have extended my unconditional support to the Congress in not letting the BJP grow in Karnataka. It is the failure of the Congress that the BJP has become so big.

If the BJP is as bad as the Congress, then can you support either after the elections?

The Congress wants to totally destroy the JD(S). Siddaramaiah is saying the JD(S) is aligning with the BJP. Has any other Congress leader said this? No. Siddaramaiah is spreading these canards because he is losing ground. What he is doing is to consolidate the Muslims behind him by saying Gowda is going with the BJP. Everyone knows that even with a 13-party coalition, when Karunanidhi and [TDP President] N Chandrababu Naidu were against it, I [as prime minister] had dismissed the BJP government in Gujarat. What more is expected of me, to prove my secular credentials? I want to ask the Congress what they have done to prevent the BJP’s growth?

The political import of the PM’s good words for you in a public rally is clear, isn’t it? You will go with the BJP…

Yesterday, the PM had so much respect for Deve Gowda in public. For what? It is all politics. Of course, when I go to his residence and my knees have a problem, he will help me out. I always laugh and tell him, he doesn’t need to do that, the security personnel will help me out. But it is for public consumption. It is politics. Yesterday, he was, of course, displaying respect for a former PM for public consumption.

But you see, there is this other great man whom I have brought up, this Siddaramaiah. Who is he? What he is? He was my crony. Who was he in 1983? He now accuses me now of aligning with the BJP. It is because he blames me for not making him CM when I went to Delhi in 1996.

At that time, Sharad Yadav had said Siddaramaiah should become CM. But there was resistance to it — there were only four Kurubas, and the other contenders were resisting it. There were 36 Lingayat MLAs and JH Patel was deputy CM — this had been decided by [former Odisha CM and BJD founder] Biju Patnaik and Hegde (Ramkrishna Hegde). But Siddaramaiah was anxious, he kept pushing me saying that I should install him and that my word would be final. I tried to explain to him that a government under you would be removed by Hegde even before I reach Delhi. He was so eager to become CM...he holds this grouse against me that I did not make him CM in 1996. He started hating me from then onwards.

He is now trying to use these gimmicks that Deve Gowda and his son will go with the BJP. Even though I have gone to the extent of saying I will disown my own son. But Siddaramaiah has gone on, and is now quoting Modi to prove it. Why should I comment on what Modi is saying? But this man (Siddaramaiah), he has run the worst government I have seen in my life. It is not ten per cent. It is a package deal.

So you are saying the Congress will lose the elections. Will you support a Congress without Siddaramaiah?

It is 100 per cent true that the Congress will lose. We are trying our best to get a simple majority. Chandrababu Naidu has asked people to defeat the BJP. Mayawati also came here. We will come to power on our own. I don’t want to go with the BJP. In 2006, when the JD(S) aligned with the BJP, they took my son [JD(S) State President HD Kumaraswamy] without telling me. They kept it a secret. My health suffered on that account. I was in the hospital. For four months, I could not go to Parliament. I don’t know how things will pan out now. But why should I accept this eventuality that we won’t come to power on my own? If such a situation arises, people will come to my door. Sonia Gandhi will come knocking to my door just as SM Krishna had come to my door. If I get more seats than the Congress and the BJP, I will decide.

But you’re not answering my question; will you support a Congress without Siddaramaiah?

The Congress itself is waiting to kick him (Siddaramaiah) out. Don’t worry about it. It is not a big issue. They are in difficulty. Does any Congress leader, other than Siddaramaiah, attack me? Can anybody answer this question? Siddaramaiah would have himself gone with the BJP in 2004 in his anxiety to become CM. Can he deny that he went to visit Advani? Siddaramaiah did not join Congress. I expelled him. That is the truth. You are asking questions on the assumption that we will not have a majority. But mark my words, this time, I will be in number one position.

comment COMMENT NOW