"Set House In Order First": Ex-PM H D Deve Gowda On Congress Pitch For Opposition Unity

There are many options before opposition parties and this nation has a wealth of leadership, he said.

Amid the buzz around forging opposition unity ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda said on Sunday that the Congress should set its house in order first.

In an interview to PTI, he also said there are many options before opposition parties and this nation has a wealth of leadership.

Upbeat about JD(S)' prospects in the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka, the veteran leader who has withdrawn from active campaigning due to age- related ailments said it will set the tone for other state elections this year and the the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Amid a tough electoral battle involving the two national parties--ruling BJP and the Congress, Gowda expressed confidence of his JD(S) coming to power and said it was seeking votes in the name of "an inclusive social and development vision, the Pancharatna programme." That the party was 'limited' to Old Mysuru region is a "clever propaganda of the national parties," the party patriarch averred.