Bengaluru (The Hindu): JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda has reiterated that his party will have no understanding with the Congress or any party for the 2018 Assembly polls.

Gowda on Friday said there were media reports that the JD(S) will enter into an understanding with other parties to face the elections. There is no truth in it. The party will field candidates in all the 224 Assembly constituencies, he added. Gowda chose to address the media at SDM Hospital, Mysuru Road, where he is admitted for naturopathy treatment. He was admitted five days ago and would stay there for the next couple of days.

The JD(S) leader said the party has decided to keep away from both the Congress and the BJP. The JD(S) would aim at winning a minimum of 115 seats. Then alone can H?D?Kumaraswamy become the chief minister and waive farmers’ loans, he added.

He claimed the party could not contest the Nanjangud and Gundlupet byelections due to financial constraints. There are several examples to show how regional parties have done well in Assembly elections despite not contesting byelections, he added.Replying to another question, Gowda said his only aim is to bring the party back to power and then retire from politics.

His MLA son H D Revanna, who was present, said it was left to Gowda and Kumaraswamy, who is the state party president, to decide whether to field Prajwal and Bhavani (Revanna’s son and wife). Revanna said Prajwal has been working for the party as an ordinary worker. People are of the view that he should contest the next elections. “But I am not going to seek a ticket for my family members. It is wrong to assume that Kumaraswamy and I are at loggerheads,” he added.