Karnataka Assembly Election Results 2018: Decision on Congress support final, says Kumaraswamy

JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, who is hoping to take oath as Karnataka Chief Minister for the second time, on Wednesday said that his party has made a decision to take support from the Congress to form next government in the state where assembly election results were declared yesterday. 

"We have already decided to go with Congress. That's the reason we called Janta Dal (Secular) Legislature Party meeting. There is no question of taking any other decision," Kumaraswamy said ahead of a meeting of party MLAs in Bengaluru.

His remarks came as both the JD(S) and the BJP are claiming to have enough number to form the government in the southern state. 

The BJP, who has 104 MLAs in the new assembly, says that as the single largest party, it must be invited first by the Governor to form the government. After the BJP failed to get a clear majority in the Karnataka assembly polls, the Congress on Tuesday decided to back third-placed rival JD(S) for a post-poll alliance to keep the saffron party out of power. 

Both Kumaraswamy and BJP's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa yesterday met the Governor to stake claim to form the government. 

Meanwhile, the JD(S) and Congress alleged that the BJP is trying to poach its MLAs. While two of 37 JD(S) MLAs were missing from the party meeting. 

Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and Venkata Rao Nadagouda were missing from the JD(S) legislative party meeting which is currently underway in a hotel in Bengaluru, ANI reported. 

Meanwhile, another party member claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was approaching JD(S) MLAs.

"I don't know what they (BJP) are offering, but they are trying to call our people. Our party people are not responding. We are all together; no one can touch our party. Our MLAs are loyal to the party," JD(S) leader Saravana told reporters here.

Earlier, a Congress MLA claimed that he received calls from BJP leaders offering him minister's post in the government if he supports Yeddyurappa. 

In another turn of events, a senior Congress leader claimed that 6 BJP MLAs were in touch with the Congress. 

"We are all together All this is false news. In fact, there are 6 BJP people, who are in touch with us," Patil, considered the Lingayat of Karnataka Congress, claimed. 

In the results declared yesterday, the BJP won 104 seats while the Congress got 78 MLAs. The JD(S) secured 37 seats while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party got one seat each. One seat went to an independent candidate. 

A party has to secure minimum 112 seats for a simple majority in the Assembly. Elections were held for 222 of 224 seats on May 12 as polling for the remaining two will be held later.