"I meant local body polls", says Deve Gowda making a U-turn after he confirmed that there will be midterm polls in Karnataka

Taking a U-turn after his controversial statement that there will be mid-term elections in Karnataka, former Prime Minister Deve Gowda said that he meant local body elections and not the assembly polls.

Hours after issuing a statement that it is confirmed that there will be mid-term polls in the state Deve Gowda, who is Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy's father said that he is there to build his party and his statement has been misquoted because he meant local body polls in the state. 

Deve Gowda who is the father of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that there is no doubt that there will be mid-term polls in the state.

The Congress and the JD(S) are coalition partners in the state, however, since assuming power in 2017, there has been infighting between the two with HD Kumaraswamy breaking down in public a number of times and stating that he is working under pressure. 

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Deve Gowda's remark hinted at the rift between the party. He had said: 

"There is no doubt that it will happen because the government has offered support for 5 years and people are watching the happenings after it. Our people are smart and knowledgeable. Nobody has to teach them. How many elections have happened? What all things has this country seen? We have watched it before."

The Congress-JD(S) coalition has seen major controversy during the poll campaign where Congress leaders and JD(S) openly questioned each other's authority. There have also been instances where Congress leader Siddaramaiah has questioned Kumaraswamy's skill to be the Chief Minister as growing dissent among the Congress MPs have also lead to defection. Kumaraswamy has also taken many potshots at Siddaramaiah openly when reports of him wanting to be chief minister again came out.

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Adding to their woes, in a setback to the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka in 2019 elections, the BJP swept 25 parliamentary constituencies out of a total of 28, leaving Congress to one seat. The Congress and JD(S) coalition, which won 117 seats combined, is currently in power in the Karnataka State Assembly managing a slim margin over the BJP's 104 seats.