Daijiworld Media Network - Hassan (SP)

Hassan, Oct 24: "Veteran politician and former minister, P G R Sindhia, has agreed to join JDS. We welcome anyone who wants to join our party with the aim of building a strong regional party in the state," said former Prime Minister, Deve Gowda.

Gowda said that many people who were associated with Janata Dal in the past are now with the BJP and Congress. He added that he welcomes them back into the fold of his party if their intention is to support the idea of strengthening the regional party. "There are clear indications of political polarization after elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat. I have been invited by Nitish Kumar, Sharad Pawar and Ajit Singh to discuss about formation of third front on November 20. But I have told them that I would be happy confining myself to Karnataka politics," he explained.

Deve Gowda chose not to say anything about C M Ibrahim comparing him to a twig of Tulsi. "Like Ibrahim, many have been treating me with respect and adoration. V Srinivas Prasad is still calculating his political future. So I cannot comment anything about him. The demand for a strong regional party is heard from everywhere. The media too is supporting creation of a pro-JDS climate. In the next election, my party will field candidates in all the 224 assembly constituencies," he stated.