
BJP, Congress reached out for alliance: Kumaraswamy
NT Correspondent
Bengaluru: JD(S) legislature party leader HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday claimed that he has been approached by both BJP and Congress over a possible post-poll electoral alliance. The former chief minister made the comments in an exclusive interview to India Today.
When asked if he was under pressure from the Union government to join the BJP or suffer consequences, he said: “The offer is there. Everybody is offering me,” Kumaraswamy said. When pressed whether this included Congress, he conceded that it did.
“They know what their strength is internally, but publicly they say they’ll say we’ll get 140 or 150 (seats). That is their announcement, but inter nally, I know their strength. Some important persons have approached me, thinking this time also there’ll be a fractured vote. But according to me, whatever hard work I did 18 hours a day, given the people’s response, I have full confidence that our government will be formed by the blessings of Karnataka’s voters independently,” he added.
Kumaraswamy exuded confidence about the stellar response that his pet project the Pancharatna Rath Yatra has received across the state. The Pancharatna scheme refers to the free housing, education, health care, guaranteed employment for at least one member of each household and redressing of farmers’ issues. Both Congress and BJP have denied these claims.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar said: “It is all false. We have not approached anyone. We are confident that we’ll form the government on our own. We’ll win on our own.”
“Let him come out with the names,” he added. BJP general secretary CT Ravi said that there was no question of a tie-up with the JD(S). “Last time, we hadn’t gone for an alliance, nor will we do it this time. There is no question of the same happening,” he said, pointing out that they had fielded CP Yogeshwar against Kumaraswamy.