Joined hands with bete noires to form secular govt:Cong leader

Senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar today said he had to swallow some "bitterness" to join hands with JDS to form a secular government in Karnataka even though he had fought many election battles against his bete noire H D Deve Gowda and his kin.

Shivakumar said he has been fighting the Gowdas since 1985.

"I had lost to the senior Gowda in Parliament election. Won against his son and his daughter-in-law. Lot of politics had been played.

Lot of cases I faced, but in the interest of the party and nation, we have to bring a secular government here. It was Rahul Gandhi's decision," he said.

"... That is why we have taken this stand and I have to swallow all this bitterness. It was my duty," he added.

JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy was invited by Governor Vajubhai Vala to form the government after former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa resigned ahead of facing floor test in the House on May 19.

Asked whether he was happy on cobbling up an alliance with JDS, Shivakumar said "at some point of time, individuality does not count, but collective decisions count."