‘Far From Truth’, HD Kumaraswamy Rejects Report of JD(S) ‘Extending Support’ to BJP in Karnataka

"We'll build the party by 'janseva'. Our fight for the common man will continue," Kumaraswamy clarified.

New Delhi: Former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy has rubbished the media reports which claimed that some JD(S) legislators have pressed upon him to extend external support to the BS Yediyurappa-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state.

“Noticed news about joining hands with BJP, it’s baseless. Legislators and party workers need not pay heed to such rumours, which is far from truth. We’ll build the party by ‘janseva’. Our fight for the common man will continue,” the JD(S) leader told reporters on Saturday evening.

Notably, the speculations gained momentum after JD(S) MLA and former minister G T Devegowda confirmed that a section of party MLAs are in favour of extending outside support to the BJP.

“We (MLAs) discussed the future course of action. Some have suggested that we should sit in opposition, while some legislators are of the opinion that we should support the BJP from outside. We have authorised Kumaraswamy to take the final decision,” Devegowda said after a meeting on Friday night which was convened by HDK to decide the party’s future course of action in the wake of upheavals in Karnataka politics.

Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa had also ruled out any possibility of an alliance with the Janata Dal Secular. Yediyurappa was sworn in as chief minister of Karnataka for a fourth time on Friday. Soon after taking the oath, Yediyurappa said that he would move a motion of confidence in the Assembly on July 29, to prove his majority in the House.

In 2006, the BJP and JD(S) had formed a coalition government with Kumaraswamy as chief minister and Yediyurappa as his deputy, under a power-sharing formula of 20 months each. However, that government had collapsed as the JD(S) did not transfer power to BJP, paving the way for the saffron party to win elections in 2008.