Bengaluru:  JD(S) Supremo and former PM H.D. Deve Gowda kicked up a storm on Friday claiming that mid-term polls to the State Assembly was imminent, given the political scenario in the State.

Gowda’s statement created ripples in political circles. While BJP State President B.S. Yeddyurappa claimed that he will form an alternative Government and will not allow the coalition partner to thrust mid-term polls on the State, KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao quickly clarified that his party had no intention of facing mid-term polls.

Earlier in the morning, Deve Gowda, speaking to press persons at his Padmanabhanagar residence, had said mid-term polls were imminent and he was not sure how long the Coalition Government would last.

However, Deve Gowda backtracked on his statement later and accused the media of twisting his words. But his claim of mid-term polls and differences with the Congress was caught on tape.

The JD(S) Supremo also claimed that he was only referring to Local Bodies elections and he need not doubt the Congress and its senior leaders. The party has assured its support to the JD(S) for fine years in writing, he added. He accused the BJP of trying to destabilise the Coalition Government.

Coalition Government won’t last long: Muralidhar Rao

Even as JD(S) Supremo H.D. Deve Gowda stormed a political pot on Friday, BJP General Secretary and State Party in-Charge P. Muralidhar Rao has said that there were other options too other than mid-term polls in case the Coalition Government falls due to internal dissensions.

Speaking to press persons at Bengaluru yesterday, Muralidhar Rao claimed that the Coalition Government would not last long and may fall anytime due to its own contradictions.

Reacting to Gowda’s prediction of a mid-term polls, Rao said that the former PM, whose party the JD(S) won just 37 seats, has no right to speak on mid-tern polls.

Maintaining that he does not foresee a mid-term polls in the State right now, Rao said that the BJP was not for mid-term polls and there was a possibility of many political scenarios coming up if the Coalition Government falls on its own.

A.H. Vishwanath defends Gowda’s statement

Senior JD(S) leader and MLA A.H. Vishwanath has defended JD(S) Supremo H.D. Deve Gowda’s opinion on mid-term Polls in the State.

Commenting on the former PM’s remarks at Mysuru on Friday, Vishwanath said that Deve Gowda is an experienced leader and can easily understand the nuances of politics.

Maintaining that there will be truth in H.D. Deve Gowda’s statements, Vishwanath said, however, it is no easy to decide on mid-term elections.

Asserting that the State Government was stable under the leadership of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK), A.H. Vishwanath said, it was not easy to topple the Coalition Government and people’s interest must be considered at first.

All the three major parties — Congress, BJP and JD(S) — must come together to decide on the elections, he added.