Bangalore: Taking potshots at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for predicting JD(S) winning only three seats in next year`s Lok Sabha polls, party supremo HD Deve Gowda on Thursday said he is "an old man in a hurry" to bring JD(S) party back to power in the state. "I am an old man in a hurry, not to become Prime Minister but to bring my party back to power in the state. This is my pledge. I accept the challenge (thrown at me by Siddaramaiah). There is an anti-Congress wave in the country," he told reporters here.
In an interview, Siddaramaiah had reportedly said recently that JD(S) and BJP would win just two-three Lok Sabha seats each and Congress 20 to 22 of the total 28 seats. Gowda said JD(S) would capitalise on the "anti-Congress" wave which was quite discernible in Congress` rout in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi assembly elections because of the "bad and corrupt" governance of UPA government.
On Siddaramaiah`s remarks that the JD(S) chief is not committed to secularism as his party had formed a coalition government with BJP`s help in the state, Gowda said he did not want any certificate of secular credentials from anyone.