Karnataka election: When Sonia Gandhi's call brought Deve Gowda on board

Deve Gowda has been upset with Rahul Gandhi for "personal attacks" during the campaign against his family

It took a phone call from former Congress president Sonia Gandhi to Janata Dal (Secular) president H D Deve Gowda to stitch the Karnataka alliance.

JD (S) Secretary-General Danish Ali counts senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief Sitaram Yechury as mentors, and had negotiated, along with Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP's) Satish Chandra Mishra, the JD(S)-BSP alliance for the Karnataka Assembly polls.

Ali had been convinced from the time the voting ended on Saturday evening that Karnataka’s voters were unlikely to give a majority to any of the three principal players. He was also convinced that the Congress and JD(S) should forget the bad blood during the election campaign and come together.

After sharing his concerns with senior opposition leaders, he told the media on Sunday that the Congress, as the bigger party, should reach out to the JD(S), but had not.

In between, Yechury also prodded Deve Gowda to be mindful of the future battles against the BJP, particularly the Opposition’s efforts at 'one-on-one' fights.

The Congress displayed a swiftness rarely seen in the last couple of years when it reached out to the JD(S) on Monday. It deputed senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot to negotiate with the JD(S) leadership. After talks, the Congress also firmed its possible offer to the JD (S).

In Goa and Manipur in March 2017, and in Meghalaya in March 2018, the Congress had emerged the single-largest party, but the BJP formed the government. The Amit Shah-led party in these three states had shown the flexibility to form a coalition government.

Once it became evident on Tuesday afternoon that the BJP was likely to fall short of majority, Gehlot and Azad suggested to former Congress president Sonia Gandhi to contact JD(S) president HD Deve Gowda. BSP chief Mayawati also called the JD(S) leadership, asking them to form a coalition with the Congress. The Congress and the BSP are exploring an alliance for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls scheduled later this year.

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi had met for lunch earlier in the day and conveyed the message to Azad. Sonia eventually made a call to Deve Gowda, who has been upset with Rahul Gandhi for “personal attacks” during the campaign against his family. Gowda had told Business Standard then that he did not appreciate the kind of language that Siddaramaiah and Rahul Gandhi used about his son HD Kumaraswamy and himself.

It was obvious to the Congress leadership that only Sonia Gandhi should reach out to Deve Gowda, and not Rahul Gandhi. It was also conceded that Deve Gowda, or Kumaraswamy, would not accept any deal other than one in which the Congress was willing to be part of a coalition headed by Kumaraswamy. The Congress could appoint its deputy chief minister.

Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah do not get along. Deve Gowda believes Siddaramaiah, his one-time protégé, stabbed him in the back. Siddaramaiah is unlikely to have any role in a Congress-JD(S) government.

By evening, the Congress also pointed out how the governor should follow the precedents in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya and invite the Congress and the JD(S) to form the government.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that in Goa in March 2017, the Congress was the single-largest party with 17 seats in a House of 40. However, Governor Mridula Sinha invited the post-poll coalition of the BJP, Maharashtra Gomantak Party and Goa Forward Party to form the government.

In Manipur, also in March 2017, the Congress emerged the single-largest party with 28 seats in a House of 60, but it was the BJP with 21 seats, with assured support from Independents and smaller parties, that was invited to form the government. A similar script played out in Meghalaya as well.