Have extended only issue-based support to BJP: Kumaraswamy

The Janata Dal (Secular), or JD(S), on Tuesday allied with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to have its leader Basavaraj Horatti elected as the chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council. JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy spoke to Sharan Poovanna about the development two years after he lost power to the BJP in the state, the implications of the anti-cattle slaughter legislation, and the way forward for the regional party. Edited excerpts:

Why did you ally with the BJP for the chairmanship?

Horatti is the senior-most MLC [member of the legislative council] and has won elections for 42 years straight. When I was chief minister, we requested the Congress to give the chairmanship to our party since they had the Speaker’s post. The Congress did not accept the request. Later, we had the same discussion with the BJP, and it agreed that Horatti should be made the chairman. He has one year left [in his tenure] and will carry out the duties efficiently.

Will this alliance extend beyond the council?

There is no question of any other alliance... We supported them for the deputy chairman’s post, and they backed us for the chairman. We have extended only issue-based support. We will back any government scheme or programme that benefits the people and will oppose anything that harms the state. We will continue to oppose bills that are not for the people’s benefit. This alliance is non-binding.

The alliance helped the passage of the anti-cattle slaughter bill...

We were not soft on this bill and opposed it from the beginning. We wanted to bring in an amendment, but Congress...protested and created a ruckus, and the deputy chairman took up the bill and passed it through a voice vote.

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How will you oppose the anti-cattle slaughter legislation now?

The reasons given by the government cannot be believed. They say that the cost of maintaining one cow in a shelter is Rs17.50. Is this believable? It costs over Rs150-200 per cow per day. The promises made by the BJP that it will build more shelters and make allocations in the budget is a way for them to make money. Nothing else. This bill will have a big impact on the farming community. We will see the reactions coming in from the farming community. When a new government comes in, they can repeal this legislation.

How will you justify the alliance ahead of the local and assembly by-polls?

Make no mistake. It is still a triangular fight in Karnataka. We also know that Congress is our main rival where we are present and not the BJP. There is no question of an alliance for seats. We will fight on our own. But there are places where the BJP and Congress are in alliance and places where the BJP and JD(S) are in the alliance... Such local alliances have existed based on local equations.

The Congress has called yours a “party of convenience”. How would you respond?

Why does not this apply to Congress? When the state delivered a fractured verdict [in 2018], the Congress asked for an alliance. We did not go to them. They are a national party, who allied with a regional party for their own convenience to keep the BJP out. We also went along for our own reasons.

In 2018, you said the Congress is more dangerous than the BJP. Do you still stand by this statement?

I continue to endorse this view.