Deve Gowda:'I never said CPM in Kerala supports BJP-JDS alliance'

Hours after triggering a political storm by claiming that the LDF government in Kerala had consented to an alliance of the Janata Dal (Secular) with the BJP, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has backtracked saying that he never said that CPM in Kerala supports BJP-JDS alliance. I only said my party unit in Kerala is getting along with the LDF government as things within my party units outside Karnataka remain unresolved after our alliance with the BJP. I wish CPM leaders had chosen their words better or had sought clarification," Deve Gowda posted on X.

There is some confusion about my statement on the CPM. My Communist friends do not seem to have followed what I said nor the context in which I said. I never said the CPM in Kerala supports the BJP-JDS alliance. I only said my party unit in Kerala is getting along with 1/2

— H D Deve Gowda (@H_D_Devegowda) October 20, 2023

Earlier,Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has rejected former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's claim that he had agreed to the latter's Janata Dal (Secular)'s alliance with the BJP in Karnataka. "Nothing short of a delusional fantasy," the Chief Minister tweeted, slamming the veteran leader of lying.Pinarayi Vijayan said the JD(S) leader's statement was "untrue and completely absurd"."He is lying to justify his own political upheavals," the Chief Minister said.
Pinarayi Vijayan also emphasised that the JD(S) has been a long-standing ally of the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala. He praised the state leadership of the JD(S) for maintaining their commitment to the LDF, even when the national leadership announced a different stance. He also clarified that neither he nor the CPI(M) had interfered in the internal affairs of the JD(S)."That's not our way," he said.

I am absolutely astonished by H D Deve Gowda's recent statement! The mere notion that I would even entertain the idea of supporting a JDS-BJP alliance is nothing short of a delusional fantasy. It is utterly disgraceful for a seasoned politician like Deve Gowda to make such…

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) October 20, 2023

JD(S), which partners with Vijayan's CPI(M) in Kerala, recently joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP. The decision did not go down well with several JD(S) leaders in the state, with state unit rejecting the central leadership's decision. Kerala JD(S) leader K Krishnankutty, who is also a minister in the LDF government, refuted Deve Gowda's statement and emphasised the state unit's commitment to maintaining its alliance with the CPI(M)."I met him (Deve Gowda) along with our state president, Mathew T Thomas, .MLA, and informed him about our objection in joining the BJP. The state party unit stands by the earlier decision to stand firm with the Left party in Kerala," Krishnankutty was quoted as saying by PTI.