Wrong time for Parivar revival talks, says Deve Gowda

Bengaluru, Dec 20: JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda said on Saturday that initiating talks with JD(U), KJP and other socialist parties for the revival of Janata Parivar in the State will only cause “confusion” at this juncture.

Speaking to mediapersons here, Gowda said that in view of the upcoming elections to the Legislative Council, zilla and taluk panchayats, any talks about a merger with JD(U) would create confusion among party workers. He said that this was not the right time for such talks because no decision has been made in this regard at the national-level.

He added that his party would instead seek the support of the CPI and the CPM during the ZP/TP elections and also extend support to the left parties in the upcoming Assembly elections in Kerala. But, there is no need for a merger with the JD(U), he insisted.

On December 17, JD(S) leaders Basavaraj Horatti, M C Nanaiah, JD(U) leader M P Nadagouda, trade union activist Michael Fernandes, former legislators N Thippanna, N S Khed and KJP MLA B R Patil had a meeting at former chief minister J H Patel’s son Mahima Patel’s residence.

Basavaraj Horatti said that he had attended the meeting only after consulting Gowda and State party president H D Kumaraswamy.

He further added that the local body elections had nothing to do with the revival of Janata Parivar.

According to sources, this is not the first time the father-son duo have upset second rung leaders in the party.

The party leaders angered certain MLAs when it took a U-turn with regard to the MLC elections in the recent past.