Question mark over JD (S) support to UPA

A big question mark has arisen over JD (S) support to Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) during the crucial July 22 vote of confidence with former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda lashing out at the Congress for “humiliating and torturing” his party.

“Both the Congress and BJP have made all out efforts to destroy the JD (S). We have suffered humiliation and torture and faced fabricated and false charges”, Gowda said.

“These are the things that will be dealt with carefully at a meeting of senior party leaders in Bangalore on July 18 before a final decision is taken on his party’s stand during the vote of confidence next week”, Gowda told reporters.

But, JD (S) spokesperson and MLC Y S V Datta was more categorical in the party’s stance against the Indo-US nuclear deal. “The party has consistently opposed the nuclear deal ever since the issue came up. There is no reason for a U-turn at this juncture”, Datta told a press conference in Bangalore.

The JD (S) has three members in the Lok Sabha including Veerendra Kumar from Kerala, whose relationship with Gowda had turned sour after the JD (S) aligned with the BJP in Karnataka to form a coalition Government. Veerendra Kumar has already identified himself with the Left parties, which are opposed to the nuclear deal.

It remains to be seen how Gowda and M Shivanna, the two other JD (S) Lok Sabha MPs, will vote during the trust vote.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Patel, political Secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, called up the JD (S) supremo and requested his party’s support to the UPA during the confidence vote. Gowda’s response to Ahmed Patel’s request was not immediately known.
The support of even smaller parties like the JD (S) has become crucial for the UPA to win the confidence vote in the wake of Left parties decision to withdraw support to the Manmohan Singh Government over the Indo-US nuclear deal.