Congress needs BJP to run govt at Centre: Gowda

With the BJP government in Karnataka having sailed through the latest crisis,former prime minister and Janata Dal(S) leader H D Deve Gowda is disappointed over the Congresss role.

With the BJP government in Karnataka having sailed through the latest crisis,former prime minister and Janata Dal(S) leader H D Deve Gowda is disappointed over the Congresss role. The Congress is perhaps more concerned about completing the remaining three years of its term here (at the Centre) than bother about one state, Deve Gowda said here on Wednesday while referring to the Manmohan Singh governments decision to reject the Karnataka Governors report recommending the imposition of Presidents Rule.

When asked to elaborate,he said that both the Congress and BJP are national parties and the Congress obviously felt that it needed the BJP’s support to run its government. I can say this after having watched them for one full year, Deve Gowda said explaining how a whole session of Parliament had been washed off due to a BJP protest and the next session had been held following cooperation by the main Opposition party.

Deve Gowda avoided a categorical reply when asked if he continued to back the Congress-led coalition government at the Centre or not. They dont depend upon my support. I have only three votes in the Lok Sabha, he said.

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The JD(S) leader said the Governor had held consultations with all concerned,including the PM,during his six-day stay in the Capital before sending a report to the Centre recommending Presidents Rule in the state. However,the Centre chose to turn down his report.

The Centre sent an advisory to the BJP government and God alone knows what sort of advisory did they send, he said. “BJP leader Arun Jaitley and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa made light of the Centre’s advisory and the matter ended there, he added.

He did not buy the argument that a lack of majority in the Rajya Sabha weighed with the government for rejecting the Governors report. He said the Communists,who had demanded the resignation of Yeddyurappa,could have supported the move.