JD-S could face trouble from another Deve Gowda

The Bharatiya Janata Party had a surprise visitor in Bangalore on Tuesday. Firebrand politician Subramanian Swamy met with former chief minister and state BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa at the latter's office and offered his support to the party.

Swamy told Yeddyurappa that he is willing to support the BJP in the forthcoming elections and said he was ready for a pre-poll alliance with the party.

Yeddyurappa, however, did not commit to Swamy and told him that a final decision in this regard would be taken by the party high command in New Delhi. Yeddyurappa said that he would talk with senior leaders regarding the offer.

Apart from Swamy, senior Janata Dal-Secular leader and former minister G T Deve Gowda has also shown interest in joining the BJP. Gowda said there was no freedom in the JD-S with H D Deve Gowda heading it.

G T Deve Gowda is the JD-S' trump card from the Mysore belt and if his namesake and his Kumaraswamy are unable to convince him to stay on in the party, then the fortunes of the party could be at stake.

G T Gowda said he has not got any recognition despite working for the consolidation of the JD-S. He also says the JD-S made a big mistake by not handing over power to the BJP.

The BJP was however quick to react and has sent out an invitation to him to join the party. Gowda said he is happy that the invitation has come and also adds that he is considering it with all seriousness.

Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy is expected to meet with Gowda and convince him to stay on in the party.

The Gowda clan cannot afford any more dissidence within the party, especially after senior leader M P Prakash expressed his desire to break away from the party. The father-son duo of H D Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy are yet to coax Prakash to stay on in the party.