New Delhi:

Amid an uproar in the Rajya Sabha over the NEET issue, senior JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda on Friday appealed to the opposition to let the House function smoothly and said the government cannot fix responsibility until the probe in the matter is completed.

Rajya Sabha witnessed chaotic scenes as opposition members demanding a discussion on the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) raised slogans and entered the Well of the House during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address.

Intervening during the discussion, Mr Gowda said lakhs of students have been affected because of the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the medical entrance exam.

“I do not want to take sides. The government has taken the right decision (to order a CBI probe),” the former prime minister said.

He said the investigation is not yet complete and the government cannot fix responsibility until it is completed. He appealed to the opposition members to let the House function smoothly. However, the protesting members did not relent.

BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi, who initiated the discussion on the Motion of Thanks, said it was unfortunate that the opposition was continuing with its protests and sloganeering despite an appeal for order by a senior member like Mr Gowda. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has claimed that former prime minister HD Deve Gowda helped his grandson Janata Dal Secular MP Prajwal Revanna flee to Germany last month amid allegations of sexual assault.

“I think Deve Gowda himself sent Prajwal. The letter now written by him is only for public consumption,” he said, taking a swipe at a public letter shared by the former PM on Thursday, warning his grandson to surrender or face the “anger of the family.”

In his letter, shared on X, the former PM said he had warned his grandson to return to India “immediately” and not to “test my patience any further.”

“I spoke to the media about Prajwal Revanna on 18 May when I was headed to the temple to offer pooja. It took me some time to recover from the shock and pain he has inflicted on me, my entire family, my colleagues, friends and party workers. I have already said that he should be given the harshest punishment under the law if found guilty. My son and former Karnataka Chief Minister, Shri. H.D Kumaraswamy, has advocated this line since the day the scandal broke,” he wrote.

Over the past month, Siddaramaiah has written several letters to PM Modi, urging the Centre to cancel his diplomatic passport, which he allegedly used to flee the country. “He has abused his diplomatic privileges to flee the country and to escape criminal proceedings,” Siddaramaiah said.

The 33-year-old NDA candidate from Karnataka’s Hassan had left the country on April 27, a day after polls concluded in the constituency.

Revanna, has been accused of sexually assaulting several women and filming the act, sparking widespread outrage. Several videos of the alleged assaults surfaced last month after which Karnataka police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) began a probe in the case.

A Blue Corner notice, which enables Interpol to share alerts and requests for information worldwide,  has been issued to track Revanna.

Thiruvananthapuram:

A political row has erupted in Kerala over a statement by JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda a day ago that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had greenlit his party’s alliance with the BJP in Karnataka to protect its interests. Kerala JD(S) leader, K Krishnankutty on Friday, firmly refuted Mr Gowda’s statement.

Opposing the national leadership’s association with the BJP, Mr Krishnankutty also emphasised the state unit’s commitment to maintaining its alliance with the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).

“I met him (Deve Gowda) along with our state president, Mathew T Thomas, MLA, and informed him about our objection to joining the BJP. The state party unit stands by the earlier decision to stand firm with the Left party in Kerala,” Mr Krishnankutty, who is also a minister in the LDF government in Kerala, said.

The opposition Congress alleged that the JD(S) revelation had established an undercurrent between the ruling CPI(M) and the BJP in Kerala.

Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala today said this is further evidenced by Mr Krishnankutty’s continued presence in the cabinet.

The CPI(M) state leadership is yet to officially react on the issue.

Earlier, the Kerala JD(S) unit had rejected the central leadership’s decision to join the NDA, opting to stand firmly with the LDF in the state.

This decision was made clear after a state committee meeting held in Kochi on October 7, where JD(S) Kerala president Mathew T Thomas underscored that the high command’s announcement lacked prior discussion within any party forum.

On Thursday, Mr Gowda, a former Prime Minister, had asserted that all state units of the JD(S), including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra, had provided their consent to align with the BJP.

“In Kerala, we are part of the government and our MLA is a minister there. These units understood the situation that made us to go with the BJP and supported our move. Our minister in the Left party’s government (K Krishnankutty) in Kerala has given consent to us,” he said.

“Kerala’s Left government’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has given full concurrence to move forward in Karnataka with the BJP to save the party. This is the position,” Mr Gowda claimed. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bengaluru:

 Defying the Janata Dal (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda’s decision of his party’s alliance with the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections, the party’s Karnataka unit president C M Ibrahim on Monday said the JD(S) will not join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

Hinting at a possible split in the party, the former Union Minister claimed that his faction is the original JD(S) for being ‘secular’ and that being the state president he can take a decision about the outfit in Karnataka.

He appealed to former PM Gowda not to give his consent to the tie-up with the BJP because many people have quit the party in the neighbouring states.

“Our first decision is that the JD(S) will not go with the NDA. The second decision was a request to Deve Gowda that he should not give his consent to this alliance”, Ibrahim told reporters after a meeting with some party leaders.

He pointed to JD(S) leaders having quit the party in Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu after the BJP-JD(S) pact.

“In Karnataka, however, we still have affection for you. You are a father figure. We will tell him (Gowda) that we should not have any relation with the BJP,” Mr Ibrahim said.

Mr Ibrahim added that he would be forming a core committee, which will meet Deve Gowda and convey the decision taken at today’s meeting.

Calling his faction as the ‘original JD(S)’, Mr Ibrahim, who had served as Civil Aviation Minister in the H D Deve Gowda-led government at the Centre, said his faction is ‘secular’.

To a question on his future course of action if Gowda and his son H D Kumaraswamy did not agree with his decision, Ibrahim said, “I am the state president. I have to decide about my party in the state, which I will take. Already we have decided that we will not go with the BJP. What else is there more than this?” “If Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy have decided to go with the BJP then let them go”, he said.

“We are asking them (Gowda and Kumaraswamy) not to go. If they go then we cannot bind them. Regarding (JD-S) MLAs, please wait and see who, how many and where these MLAs will take a decision. We will intimate you when time comes,” the JD(S) state president said.

He claimed that many MLAs are in touch with him but declined to give their names.

“It will create pressure If I disclose their (MLA) names. I will also hold one-on-one meetings with the MLAs,” Mr Ibrahim said.

Former Chief Minister Kumaraswamy, who is JD(S) second-in-command, on September 22 agreed to be part of the NDA after meeting the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party president J P Nadda in New Delhi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bengaluru:

The Janata Dal (Secular) rebuffed an approach by Nitish Kumar to merge with his Janata Dal (United) and join the INDIA opposition bloc, party patriarch HD Deve Gowda said today, two weeks after the Karnataka outfit allied with the BJP to contest next year’s general election.

Mr Deve Gowda said he was approached four months ago with a “Janata Freedom Front” proposal – to consist of ex-Janata Dal parties – but was told, “I don’t agree. I am not interested in national posts… am 91 and have seen how the Congress ditched me. I don’t want any experiments at this age. “

“… about three-four months back Nitish Kumar contacted me to form a front – JDU-JDS and even Samajwadi Party, with several groups of earlier Janata Dal wanted to form a Janata Freedom Front.”

“Nitish sent his party president and senior leaders to persuade me… but I did not agree. I told him, ‘if you feel like moving forward, then you can contact other parties’,” Mr Deve Gowda said.

Nitish Kumar’s JDU and the Congress are both in the INDIA bloc, as are a few other ex-Janata Dal parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Samajwadi Party.

The JDS outreach was likely part of several made to high-profile non-BJP leaders by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in his role as interlocutor for opposition unity ahead of the 2024 election.

Getting the JDS to come on board failed, Mr Deve Gowda seemed to indicate, due to tensions with the Congress. “They are thinking they will ‘finish’ JDS in Karnataka,” Mr Deve Gowda told NDTV. “Congress did no talking (with the JDS about INDIA).”

READ | “Have To Save Party In Karnataka”: HD Deve Gowda Defends JDS-BJP Alliance

Mr Deve Gowda also had sharp words for Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, “Congress’ Siddaramaiah… who I brought up in politics… said that if JDS comes, he will walk out.”

READ | “Are They Secular Now?”: Siddaramaiah’s Jibe At JDS Over Alliance With BJP

“I don’t want to discuss anymore. I have suffered,” he said as he chuckled over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s 2018 jibe – that the JDS is the BJP’s ‘B team’. That jibe was repeated last week.

“No, RG gave ‘B team of BJP certificate’. Not (just) in last election but previous one also… “

READ |“BJP B-Team Now Officially Part of NDA”: Congress On Kumaraswamy’s Party

The JDS and Congress formed the government after the 2018 election. Mr Deve Gowda’s son, HD Kumaraswamy, was Chief Minister but they split soon after, after lawmakers joined the BJP.

Last month, the JDS joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance – in a move fiercely criticised by ex-allies Congress, which rushed to question its “secular credentials”.

READ |BJP, JDS Come Together In Karnataka Ahead Of Big 2024 Polls. NDTV Explains

The JDS was seen as nearing irrelevance after a third consecutive poor Assembly polls result; in the May election it won just 19 seats – down from 37 in 2018 and 40 five years earlier.

The Congress romped to victory in May, winning 135 of 224 seats to oust the BJP.

The BJP-JDS alliance has been questioned by some, including leaders within each party, but others see sense in allying with an outfit that still has sway in eight Lok Sabha segments and over Vokkalinga voters, including areas in which the Congress made inroads in the May poll.

Details about seat-sharing between the two have not yet been revealed. Mr Deve Gowda said these talks are to begin after Dussehra, which is on October 24. However, he was keen to underline his party remains secular and “won’t take lessons in so-called secularism”.

“We have enough experience… we know how to protect minorities and other marginalised sections. I don’t want to make tall claims but, in 60 years of my political career, I have done it to the best of my ability. We will never let down any minority group – not just Muslims.”

Bengaluru:

Four months ago, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) slumped to humiliating defeats in the Karnataka election. The BJP won just 66 seats and was ousted from power and the JDS was left, many thought, on the brink of irrelevance after winning only 19. The Congress claimed a thumping, and unexpected, win with 135 seats.

The 2024 Lok Sabha election in Karnataka now becomes crucial for both the BJP and the JDS, who have announced a pre-poll alliance but have not yet revealed seat-sharing details.

The BJP-JDS Tie-Up

Senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa ‘broke’ the news last week and said the JDS would get four seats (of the state’s 28 Lok Sabha seats) as part of the deal. This was denied by BJP sources and later by JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy, who said “these have not yet been discussed”.

READ |Will They, Won’t They? On Talk Of BJP-JDS Deal In Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy Says…

Mr Kumaraswamy, a two-time former Chief Minister and the son of JDS patriarch HD Deve Gowda, also played down reports his party had demanded the Mandya and Tumkur seats. He insisted no such demands had been made.

Why Does The BJP Want A JDS Alliance?

Statistically, the JDS’ results in the 2023 Assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha polls don’t make a deal a sensible option for the BJP. In the former it got less than 14 per cent of the votes – up from the nine-odd per cent four years earlier. And, in each election the BJP outscored the JDS. In 2023 it won 36 per cent of the votes and, in 2019, it swept the state.

READ | As Opposition Teams Up For Big 2024 Fight, BJP Plans A Pact In South

So why does this deal make sense for the BJP?

Because the JDS still has sway in eight Lok Sabha segments in the Old Mysuru region. These include Mandya, Hassan, Bengaluru (Rural) and Chikballapur – seats it allegedly wanted as part of the deal. It also includes Tumkur, the seat Mr Deve Gowda lost from in 2019.

2023 Karnataka Assembly Election Results

Also, the JDS’ influence over Vokkalinga voters will strengthen the BJP’s hand. And that may be the kicker, as the Congress is seen as having made successful inroads into the traditionally BJP-voting community.

What the BJP may also want to consider is that a tie-up on this ground didn’t seem to help the Congress in 2019; remember, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party still won 25 seats.

Ultimately, the BJP will hope a JDS tie-up brings back memories of its 2006 coalition.

JDS Remains Defiant

The trends do not worry Deve Gowda, who told reporters “we contacted Modiji, when BJP leaders expressed their desire to talk”. “… not for Deve Gowda to become Prime Minister again… to save this party I have nurtured for 40 years,” he said.

He also explained why he believes the BJP needs him. He admitted the latter has votes in the segments in which his party is seen as influential, but “BJP shouldn’t think JDS has nothing”.

There were also warnings for other seats. “In Bijapur and Raichur BJP can win only if you get my party’s strength… if not you cannot win. In Bidar and Chikkamagaluru too we have votes.”

NDTV’s June Report On BJP-JDS Alliance

In June, sources told NDTV of the possibility of a BJP-JDS alliance.

The BJP is now without a government in South India. The party was booted out of Tamil Nadu in 2021 and routed in Kerala. Both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have also proven resistant.

Of these states, Telangana votes for a new government later this year and the BJP is eager to have local footprints in each state as it builds back up ahead of next year’s mega election. With that in mind, the AIADMK alliance has been renewed and talks are also on with smaller Kerala parties. The BJP is already in a coalition government in Puducherry.

With input from agencies