JD(S) to contest all 224 seats; no alliance with Cong, SDPI: Deve Gowda

Mangaluru, Jan 22: Janata Dal (Secular) National President H D Deve Gowda has said that his party would will field candidates in all the 224 constituencies of Karnataka in the upcoming Assembly polls in May 2018.

Speaking to media persons here on Monday, the former prime minister said that the JD(S) is open to have an alliance with the Left parties during the polls.

"If CPI and CPM approach us for a pre-poll agreement, we are willing to leave a few seats uncontested for them. The list of our candidates will be published during the third week of February. We will not enter into a truck with any party, if the poll results in a hung Assembly," he said.

Asked whether his party post-elections would support the Congress in case of a hung Assembly, he said: “I have already burnt my fingers by supporting the Congress (earlier).” He clarified that JD(S) would not have any alliance with the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) too.

The 84-year-old leader said that the party would make all efforts to win at least one seat in all districts to ensure that it has representation in the Assembly from all the districts. 

The candidates would be finalised by the end of February. The party would seek votes on the basis of its “own principles and policies” and not by taking on the Congress and the BJP.

Mr Gowda said that the party would hold a rally for peace in Mangaluru in the second week of February. “We had to postpone the rally due to prohibitory orders in the city. The rally intends to emphasize on peace and also to strengthen the JD(S) in coastal Karnataka,” he said. 

He said religious leaders from different faiths are expected to participate in the rally to be held from Mahatma Gandhi circle to Nehru Maidan.