In a sudden development, the JDS on Saturday decided to extend support to its estranged coalition partner BJP to form another government in Karnataka.
Former Karnataka CM offers to support a BJP-led coalition govt after Cong attempts to poach away JD-S legislators
BANGALORE: It’s classic turnaround. After months of acrimonious haggling over the transfer of power to its partner, the Janata Dal (Secular) on Saturday decided to extend support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“We have decided to submit our letter of support to governor Rameshwar Thakur on Saturday to facilitated formation of a BJP-led coalition government,” former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy told DNA.
There was, however, further drama during the day. Even as Kumaraswamy was addressing the stunned mediapersons at a specially convened press conference in Bangalore, senior JD-S leader MP Prakash was in Delhi urging the governor not to honour his party’s letter of support.
Prakash told a hurriedly called press conference in New Delhi that the JD-S letter of support has “no validity” and hence the governor should not act on it.
The senior JD-S leader faxed a letter to the governor saying that he was returning to Bangalore on Saturday evening and should be heard before the governor took any decision on government formation.
Prakash was in Delhi hoping to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel to continue his efforts to avoid early polls to the assembly, which is under suspended animation since October 9 when the state was brought under president’s rule following Kumaraswamy’s resignation.
Prakash told DNA that he hoped JD-S president HD Deve Gowda, who prides himself on his secular credentials, would not approve of Kumaraswamy’s latest efforts to align with the BJP again.
JD-S sources said Kumaraswamy took the decision to revive strained relations with the BJP after the Congress made a move to split the JD-S to form its government.
On a day of hectic political activity, JD-S spokesman YS Datta called on former deputy Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa of BJP to communicate his party’s decision to extend support to the BJP-led ministry.
“The process of formation of a government with Yediyurappa as chief minister has begun,” Datta said after meeting him at the behest of JD-S leader and Kumaraswamy’s father HD Deve Gowda.
The BJP, taken by surprise in the wake of an U-turn by JD-S, began consultations among its top leaders, including M Venkaiah Naidu, who is in the city on a private visit.
Alarmed by the unfolding political scene, opposition Congress leader in the state assembly N Dharam Singh rushed to the Raj Bhavan to call on the governor. The BJP, meanwhile, has asked its legislators to be present in the city.
“The JD-S support to the BJP is unconditional,” said party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy. The BJP urged the Karnataka governor to invite YS Yediyuruppa to form the government.
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