HD Deve Gowda calls ties with Congress 'abusive relationship,' responds to Kharge’s Rajya Sabha jest
Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Deve Gowda on Wednesday described the 2019 alliance with the Congress as an “abusive relationship” that ended in divorce, responding to a quip by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge in the Rajya Sabha.
During his farewell speech in the upper house, Kharge had joked about Deve Gowda and Sharad Pawar, saying: “I have known him for 54 years and have worked with him. But I don’t know what happened. He dated us, loved us, but married Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
The remark drew laughter across the house, and even Narendra Modi was seen smiling.
In a detailed post on X, Deve Gowda explained his perspective on the 2019 coalition collapse in Karnataka. He said he was not present in the session but would have responded that he was in a “forced marriage” with the Congress and had to “divorce” them due to their abusive behavior.
Deve Gowda recounted the events leading up to the collapse: In 2018, Congress leaders had offered HD Kumaraswamy the chief ministership, but Deve Gowda insisted Mallikarjun Kharge should hold the post.
He added that Congress later “dumped” the JDS in 2019 after a mass exodus of MLAs, which paved the way for a BJP government under BS Yediyurappa.
My dear friend Shri. @kharge made a humorous comment in parliament today on my “love” for @INCIndia and “marriage” with @BJP4India. I was not there in the House when he spoke. Here’s my response both lighthearted and factual on why I was forced to “divorce” the Congress @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/qPK95FUxip
— H D Devegowda (@H_D_Devegowda) March 18, 2026
The 2019 collapse saw 17 MLAs—14 from Congress and three from the JDS—defecting to the BJP, a move widely attributed to “Operation Lotus.”
Deve Gowda also pointed fingers at former Karnataka Congress chief Siddaramaiah, claiming he encouraged dissent within the alliance rather than trying to resolve conflicts.
In 2023, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the JDS officially joined the NDA, further cementing its shift away from the Congress.
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