Bengaluru: Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Deve Gowda retracted his claim that his party's BJP alliance had the approval of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), following Vijayan's dismissal of the statement as a "delusional fantasy" and an accusation of lying.
In response, Deve Gowda clarified that there was confusion about his statement regarding the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) in Kerala. He emphasized that he never stated that the CPM in Kerala supports the BJP-JDS alliance but rather highlighted the internal issues within his party units outside Karnataka.
The JD(S), which recently joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP, faced dissent from its state leaders who rejected the central leadership's decision. Despite this, Deve Gowda asserted that all state units, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra, consented to align with the BJP.
Pinarayi Vijayan accused Deve Gowda of betraying his party's ideology by aligning with the BJP to secure the chief minister's seat for his son, Kumaraswamy.
The political tension underscores the challenges within the JD(S) and its relations with regional partners, creating a complex narrative of alliance dynamics and ideological clashes in the ever-evolving political landscape.