Hassan, April 16 (Reporter) Confident of NDA prospects, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Tuesday predicted the collapse of the Congress government in Karnataka after Lok Sabha elections. He made this prediction at an election campaign meeting at Ibbeedu in Belur taluk here. Deve Gowda said that the Congress is being under an illusion of coming to power at the Centre and defended his son, HD Kumaraswamy, regarding the controversy over his statement, insisting that the JDS leader had clarified his intentions and apologised. Kumaraswamy, while addressing the election campaign in Tumakuru district on Saturday in support of alliance candidate V Somanna, said, "The current government introduced five guarantees during the last election, insinuating that the women in my village have lost their way." Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah strongly criticised Kumaraswamy's comments by saying it showed his mentality toward women. In his response, Kumaraswamy clarified that his comments were taken out of context and misinterpreted for political gain. He affirmed his commitment to women's welfare and pointed out the various initiatives he introduced during his tenure as Chief Minister to support women, such as providing shelter during challenging times and banning arrack in the state. Deve Gowda expressed confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ability to resolve the Cauvery River water issue and other regional challenges. Additionally, Deve Gowda promised Modi to secure the highest number of seats for the JDS-BJP alliance in Karnataka. His active campaigning across the state further demonstrates his dedication to achieving this goal...////...