Bengaluru: Internal rivalry cost us many seats'

Bengaluru: The state BJP held the customary post-mortem of the reasons which made it fall short of  a majority in the Assembly elections at its executive meeting on Friday but it is not sure if they and former CM Sadananda Gowda are on the same page on this issue.

Mr Gowda, now the Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation, has already reported to the party central leadership on the reasons for the ‘inadequate show.’ Speaking exclusively with Deccan Chronicle, he cited three to four reasons for the party failing to reach the half-way mark in the Assembly. According to him, internal bickering, the delay in announcing candidates the sabotage of party prospects in a few constituencies and the late arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for campaigning are the main reasons for the failure to achieve a majority.

Mr Gowda rebutted rumours about his return to state politics and also warned his detractors in the party that he will not allow them to suppress him politically. Excerpts from the interview.

The BJP fell just 9 seats short of a majority and now you have a Congress-JD(S) coalition in power in the state. What do you feel are the reasons for the party unable to get  a majority in the polls?
Despite the Narendra Modi wave, we could not seize power. The internal differences in the party which surfaced in the past one year did immense damage to the BJP during the elections as people have not forgotten our differences. The second reason was that we delayed in announcing candidates, the third reason was the late arrival of Narendra Modi for campaigning. Moreover we failed to resolve the confusion in the party before the arrival of Mr Modi. The fourth reason was internal sabotage in a few constituencies. Our own leaders worked against party candidates.

Bengaluru is considered a stronghold of the BJP.  But of the 28 seats, the  party was able to win only 11, do you see any specific reason for the party defeat in Bengaluru?
We could have won 18 seats in Bengaluru. We lost Hebbal only due to internal sabotage by our party leader who represented the constituency earlier.  His intention was to defeat party candidate Dr Y.A. Narayanaswamy and he worked against him in the election. However I am surprised with the result in Dasarahalli constituency where in spite of the good work done by sitting MLA Muniraju, the party lost the election. In Dasarahalli, the Congress and JD(S) entered into a tacit understanding to defeat our candidate.

A Bengaluru based senior BJP leader has blamed the poor show in the city to the shoddy performance in Assembly seats falling in Bengaluru North Lok Sabha constituency, do you agree?
I will not agree, in fact we did well in Bengaluru North Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2013 Lok Sabha elections, we got 12,000 votes in Yeshwantapur, but this time, the party candidate secured 60,000 votes. Likewise in Byatarayanapura, the party secured 1,10,000 votes- 40 percent more than in the previous election. In KR Puram too, the party secured more votes than in the previous election. Criticism about the poor performance in my Lok Sabha constituency is false. We did perform better, it was because of internal sabotage that the party was defeated in a few constituencies in Bengaluru.

The party had a bright chance of winning the RR Nagar and Jayanagar bypolls, what went wrong in these constituencies?
Yes, we had a hundred percent chance of winning RR Nagar. But the last minute entry of JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda spoiled our chances. In RR Nagar, the voters had decided to defeat the Congress, but Mr Deve Gowda tilted votes in favour of the JD(S) candidate. Because of Deve Gowda’s campaign, JD(S) candidate Ramachandra got 60,000 votes. It was evident that BJP votes too were transferred to the JD(S) candidate at the last moment as Mr Ramachandra was with our party and after we denied him the ticket, he joined the JD(S). Something similar happened in Jayanagar too, where we had a chance of winning but our party corporators openly supported the Congress candidate. So we lost the election. 

There are rumours doing the rounds about your return to state politics, are you seriously planning to make a return?
I have not decided yet, in fact I have not demanded any post in the party. The party asked me to contest from Mangaluru, then asked me to contest from Udupi- Chikkamagaluru and then gave me the ticket for  Bengaluru North Lok Sabha constituency. I was also appointed party state president and made chief minister after B.S.Yeddyurappa suggested my name. It is left to the party to use my services, if the party gives me a responsibility, I will accept it with  all humility. 

You have faced many embarrassing moments in the party after you shifted to Bengaluru North Lok Sabha seat, is it true?
True, but I have ignored such incidents. A few party leaders wanted to settle scores and  opposed me but I have been able to overcome the situation. Whenever something went wrong in the party, I have put forth my point firmly in the core committee meeting . Within the four walls of the organisation, we have to settle issues. Even the core committee had agreed with my views and many a time, altered its decision.

Are you facing stiff opposition from Bengaluru based BJP leaders in your attempts to strengthen your base in Bengaluru North?
Yes, there is an attempt to restrict my growth in Bengaluru. But leaders trying to restrict my growth have suffered a severe jolt and have lost their clout in in the party. Such leaders want to be  given prominence in the decision making process. I have no objection to that, if they have the ability let them grow, but I will not allow them to suppress me in the party.

Do you think a Congress- JD(S) ghatbandhan in the coming Lok Sabha election will emerge as a threat to the BJP in Karnataka?
An alliance of the Congress and JD(S) will never happen. Do you think the Congress will give up its current Lok Sabha seats of Chikkaballapura, Tumakuru, Kolar, Chamarajanagar and Bengaluru Rural to JD(S) where it has a strong presence? Before reaching a seat sharing agreement, the alliance of JD(S) and Congress will collapse.