Nothing cooking up with Congress, JD-S says

Janata Dal (Secular) chief and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda turned down all speculations on Wednesday that something was cooking between JD-S and Congress and asserted the JD-S was firmly with the Third Front.

“JD-S is firmly with the Third Front. We have an important role to play in government formation,” he said, rejecting any patch up with Congress for the post-poll alliance.

About his son and former chief minister of Karnataka, H D Kumaraswamy’s secret meeting with Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Gowda said do not read much into the meeting as it was casual in nature.

He met with Sonia Gandhi as former chief minister of Karnataka in relation to issues relating to his state and had nothing to do with national politics, Gowda pointed out.

And as far as unity of Third Front is concerned, he said Third Front was intact and dismissed there was any rift among the members of the Third Front, which would play a major role in the formation of government at the Centre.

On Tuesday evening, Kumaraswamy was caught in camera covering his face while going to hold secret meeting with Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence, sparking speculation of possible post-poll tie up with Congress.

Speculation further ripened when he tried to evade media questions about the purpose of the close door meeting and gave no satisfactory answers.

Kumaraswamy, however, on Wednesday in a bid to quell controversy told reporters his meeting was in context to the development in Karnataka politics. It was nothing to do with the national politics. The Front continues to be strong and united and none has deserted it, he asserted when asked whether JD-S was planning to team up with Congress like TRS dumped Third Front and jumped to the NDA flock.