I intend to unite the party in K'taka: Gowda

Karnataka's Chief Minister-designate D V Sadananda Gowda on Wednesday promised to give "pro-development and people-friendly" government as he sought to reach out to the rival camp in ruling Bharatiya Janata Party by saying he would seek to unite and take everybody into confidence.

"I would like to give a good government...pro-development and people-friendly government and infrastructure-oriented government in the coming two years", Gowda told a press meet soon after being elected leader of the BJP legislature party.

He said he would strive to continue to the "fullest extent" several development and welfare programmes initiated by the B S Yeddyurappa government in the last three years and seek to speed them up. "I intend to unite the entire party and take everybody into confidence and make the administrative machinery smooth",

Gowda said. "There is a need to create a system where common people live with dignity and self-respect", Gowda said.

Jagadish Shettar, who lost out to Gowda in the secret ballot after the party's central leadership failed to build consensus, said he would extend cooperation to Gowda, adding, he is confident that the BJP government would give good governance in the remaining two years in power.

Shettar, propped by the camp of senior party leader H N Ananth Kumar and state unit President K S Eshwarappa, defended the move to elect the leader through ballot. "In this political system, if the decision is made through consensus, it's okay. If not, taking up voting is natural," he said.

"This is a normal process. It shows that democratic system is alive in our party", he added. 

Gowda defeated Shettar in secret voting but the party chose not to speak on the specifics, with party sources giving conflicting numbers. Some said 65 MLAs supported Gowda and 51 Shettar, a few others maintained it's 64-53 and also 64-54, bringing into the open the sharp division among legislators.