No alliance with Cong, BJP: Deve Gowda

Janata Dal (Secular) president HD Deve Gowda has dismissed any possibility of having an electoral tie-up with either the Congress or the BJP for December 5 by-polls in Karnataka, describing both the national parties as "not trustworthy" and having the "same character". In an interview, the former prime minister said JD(S) would contest the by-elections to fill 15 vacancies in Karnataka Assembly alone and "certainly maintain equidistance" from the Congress and the BJP. When asked about JD (S)'s strategy for the by-elections, the 86-year-old JD(S) patriarch quipped, "We have nothing to do with Congress and BJP. Both of them are not trustworthy. They will use us when they want and destroy us later. Both the parties are of the same character". The by-polls were necessitated due to the disqualification of 17 legislators of Congress and JD(S) under the anti-defection law by the then Speaker of Karnataka Assembly. The MLAs later filed a petition in the Supreme Court on which the order is reserved. Winning a majority of seats in the by-polls is necessary for the ruling BJP led by B S Yediyurappa to stay in power.