Gowda defends alliance with BJP; Siddaramaiah takes a dig at JD(S)

Janata Dal (Secular) after the party announced alliance with the BJP in Karnataka. Deve Gowda defended the move even as the Congress questioned the regional party’s secular credentials. Gowda assured minority communities that the party would continue to protect their interests. He also denied accusations of opportunistic politics and stated that the JD(S) was not power-hungry. Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy dismissed discontent within the party and accused the Congress of trying to destroy secular forces.