GT Devegowda stunner: JD(S) men backed BJP

Mysuru: Higher education minister  and sennior JD(S) leader G.T. Devegowda who is in charge of Mysuru district, admitted on Wednesday that some JD(S) party workers had voted for BJP candidate, Pratap Simha in a  few places in the  Mysuru-Kodagu constituency this Lok Sabha poll.

"The fault lies with both coalition partners. Had they decided on candidates and constituencies two months in advance, and if the Congress and JD(S) had completely united and faced the Lok Sabha election together, the BJP would not have won even five seats in the state," he told reports here,  adding, " We should have fielded candidates of our own like in the Legislative assembly poll. There has always been strong rivalry between Congress and JD(S) workers even in the local body elections in Mysuru- Kodagu. So in a few places in the constituency, JD(S) party men have voted for the BJP. However JD(S) workers have voted for the Congress too at a few places in the constituency."  

Asked if  the Lok Sabha election results would impact the coalition government in the state, he replied in the negative.  "No it  will not have any impact on the state government. Ever since Mr H D Kumaraswamy became Chief Minister and Dr G Parameshwar, Deputy Chief Minister in the Congress-JD(S) coalition in the state, BJP leaders have been giving deadlines for its collapse. But none of these deadlines have been met. There can be no anxiety as long as there is a majority in the Congress- JD(S) coalition government," he added.

In his view, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election speeches at his campaign rallies in the state  had failed to convert into votes for the  BJP these Lok Sabha polls.