"Will not go to any party now," says JDS MLA G T Deve Gowda

Known for hobnobbing with BJP leaders, JD(S) MLA G T Deve Gowda said on Saturday that he will not go to any party now and will wait and watch till the next assembly elections due in 2022.

"Decision will be taken after seeing which way the politics goes after three years," the Chamundeshwari MLA told reporters at Bengaluru while speaking about the outcome of bypoll results and his future course of action.

In the recent bypolls, the JD(S) drew blank whereas the BJP won 12 of 15 seats, thus increasing its tally to 117 minus speaker and securing a majority in the 225-member House.

According to Gowda, political polarisation happens once in five years around general elections and, hence, there will be political polarisation in Karnataka after three years when the assembly elections take place.

"It is around that time that it will be decided who goes where and who stays in the party," Gowda added.

He however, made it clear that he would wait and watch till the next assembly elections.

"I am in the JD(S) now and I will work as a JD(S) MLA for the development of my area. I will not go to any party now," the JD(S) leader clarified.

The JD(S) MLA was emphatic that the party should have supported the ruling BJP in the by-elections.

"There was a need to support the ruling party. Let people decide -- if they (BJP) do good then they will come back. If not, then there will be a change," Gowda pointed out.

"In Karnataka, people gave their verdict. They are wise. They voted for a stable government and gave complete majority (to BJP), so that there is no infighting and bickering.

Yediyurappa is the chief minister. Let development happen under his leadership," Gowda said.

During the bypolls, the leader stayed aloof from campaigning in Hunasuru and other places.

At the height of turmoil in Karnataka politics when 17 MLAs were disqualified for anti-party activities in July leading to the collapse of the Congress-JDS government, Gowda had said that the JD(S) should support the BJP and remain in the ruling side.

His cosying up to the BJP leadership had often worried the JD(S) leadership.