Patel need not resign, says Deve Gowda
Former prime minister and United Front
chairman H D Deve Gowda says the 13-member coalition should accept the defeat in the Lok Sabha poll gracefully and earn the people's confidence
again.
Talking to the media in Bangalore, he said everyone should respect
the people's verdict, though it was a fractured one. It was
difficult to analyse the outcome, which depended on factors
like anti-establishment mood, stability and projection of a prime ministerial candidate.
Deve Gowda said the Janata Dal would strive to maintain unity
in the UF and strengthen it. The UF core committee will decide the future
course of action at its meeting on March 10 in Delhi.
He declined to comment on UF convener N Chandrababu Naidu's
stand in relation to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Deve Gowda said Karnataka Chief Minister J H Patel had been
misquoted by the press on his stand about the BJP. What Patel said was that he was opposed to the BJP forming a government -- but if it became inevitable, then the Dal should consider giving it issue-based support.
Replying to a question on the possible fall-out of the verdict
in Karnataka, Deve Gowda said Patel need not resign. He was sincere in telling he would own moral
responsibility if the party secured less than 10 seats from the
state.
"The mandate is only for the Lok Sabha and not the
state assembly," the former prime minister said.
Pointing out the debacle of the ruling parties in Maharashtra,
Orissa and Rajasthan, he asked whether those chief ministers would also
resign based on the performance of their parties.
Deve Gowda said he was not disheartened by the Dal's
defeat. He would undertake a state-wide tour after the assembly budget
session to rejuvenate the party.
UNI
Elections '98
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