People will answer, remove PM Modi's govt: Deve Gowda

Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Friday said that "people of the country will answer to remove Modi government" in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

He said that all regional parties are banding together to overthrow the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and lauded West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for taking the initiative in that direction.

"Mamata Banerjee has taken the lead to bring all the parties together and also she is working very hard to throw this government at the national level and bring a secular government. I have watched the struggle Mamata has gone through for this historic decision, the people of this country will respond," Deve Gowda told the media after arriving at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

The former Prime Minister further said that the BJP are making "reckless allegations" against Mamata Banerjee to discredit her, adding that those efforts will not help them stop the opposition parties.

He evaded questions on prime ministerial candidate for the 'Mahagathbandhan', saying that people will answer and remove the BJP government.

In reply to questions whether the alliance of regional parties can challenge the BJP without the support of the Congress party, Deve Gowda said: "Ultimately, we have all come together to form the government. We already have a coalition government in Karnataka with the Congress, I am not going to give a straightforward reply to that, we have to form the government in consultation with the Congress".

He also said that the regional parties can form a stable government together.

"People want a stable government, Modi always says a stable government is one of the answers to have major development and other achievements, but even the regional (parties), which have come together, they have also responded properly to all these cheap allegations. They have given a good government (in the past), I can show examples. Vajpayee was also running a coalition government," Deve Gowda said.

The JD(S) president arrived in Kolkata today to attend a rally organised by the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground on Saturday.

Among those to be present at the rally include Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin, National Conference supremo Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejaswi Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Satish Misra, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh and leader Jayant Chowdhury, former Union ministers and disgruntled BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel, Opposition leader in Mizoram Lalduwahawma, former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Gegong Apang, former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and Gujarat independent MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani.

Interestingly, BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha will also attend the anti-BJP rally.

However, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Left parties will not be attending the rally. The Congress will be represented by Mallikarjun Kharge.