Bengaluru:  Maintaining that those trusted by him had backstabbed him, JD(S) Supremo and former PM H.D. Deve Gowda (HDD) has regretted that he ignored the loyal party workers while choosing candidates for the elections.

Addressing party workers at the party’s State Headquarters J.P. Bhavan here on Sunday, Deve Gowda, who broke into tears even as he began to speak, said that he admits with guilt the sentiments of the party workers.

Ruing that he failed to give positions to loyal party workers who had toiled hard for the party for years, Deve Gowda said that he was in deep pain, for having failed to  recognise loyal party workers. Regretting that he failed to give suitable positions to loyal JD(S) workers even when H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) become the Chief Minister, a tearful JD(S) Supremo said that today he (HDD) stands guilty of ignoring loyal party workers.

Defending the Speaker’s decision to disqualify all rebel MLAs, Deve Gowda said that the Speaker’s decision was a historical one.

Observing that the Assembly Session convened on Monday was not correct, the former PM said that CLP Leader Siddharamaiah has raised a ‘Point of order’ on the issue.

He further said that Siddharamaiah can become the Opposition Leader and HDK will function as the JD(S) Legislature party leader, if the BJP wins the Trust Vote and continues to be in power.

Replying to a question on the continuation of  the JD(S)-Congress alliance, H.D. Deve Gowda said that no decision has been taken as yet and he would talk to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in this regard.