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HD Deve Gowda Says 'There Will Be Mid-Term Polls', Then Clarifies

"They (Congress) had said they will give support to us for five years. I am watching all the developments and their behaviour," he said.
Hindustan Times via Getty Images

In a sign of growing tensions in the ruling alliance in Karnataka, former prime minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Friday said there was “no doubt there would be mid-term polls”.

“There is no doubt that there will be mid-term polls. They (Congress) had said they will give support to us for five years. I am watching all the developments and their behaviour. Our people are intelligent enough. We need not have to teach them,” he said, according to PTI.

He later clarified that he was referring to the local body election and not the state election, Hindustan Times reported.

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“I said it for local body election and not assembly election. I’m here to build my party. As HD Kumaraswamy had mentioned, the government will continue for the next four years.” he was quoted as saying by NDTV.

As Gowda’s remarks had raised alarm bells within the coalition, Kumaraswamy went into a damage control mode and said his government was safe.

He asserted that his father has been misunderstood.

“What he has said is that be prepared for the urban local body election. Deve Gowda has not said that the assembly election will take place. He has given a clarification also. There is no question of mid-term polls. The government will continue for the next four years,” he said.

He also said the government would focus on rectifying the mistakes.

The BJP had crushed the Congress and JD(S) in the Lok Sabha elections, winning 25 of the 28 seats and leaving only one seat each to the two alliance partners. The BJP-backed independent candidate had won the Mandya seat.

Gowda, who was defeated from the Tumkur Lok Sabha constituency, also spoke about how he has been blamed for it.

“We had got eight seats in the seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress. I told Rahul Gandhi that if you think you do not want a particular seat then give us the one you had lost. Did I ask for Tumkur? No. Siddaramaiah had told me. He said he did it for Mysuru (to win Mysuru seat). They have openly said that I am responsible for the defeat in Tumkur and Mysuru. Leave it now,” he said, according to PTI.

(With PTI inputs)

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.