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Basavaraj Bommai claimed that the Congress pleaded with BJP MPs to join the party. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said today that the Congress and HD Kumaraswamy's Secular Janata Dal have reached an agreement for assembly elections to be held in the state on May 10. The deal was made in Hyderabad, he said. The charge was dismissed by Mr. Kumaraswamy. The Chief Minister's comments came amid the Election Commission's announcement of the voting date for the Karnataka Assembly, which has 224 members.
Speaking to reporters, Bommai said the Congress had pleaded with BJP MPs to come and join the party.
Responding to a question about the Congress charge that there was an understanding between the BJP and JD(S), the Chief Minister said: "There is nothing like that. In fact, there was a meeting in Hyderabad between the Congress leaders and the JD(S) according to my information, an agreement was reached between them.
Bommai said that the process of publishing the BJP's candidate list for the Assembly elections will start after a week.
Mr. Kumaraswamy objected to Mr. Bommai's statement. "I demand that the Chief Minister reveal the names of the leaders who met in Hyderabad and the place where the meeting took place," he said.
The JD(S) leader said he found the prime minister's accusations too petty to respond to. Congress and the BJP have referred to the JD(S) as each other's "B-team". The two national parties had nothing more to say about the JD(S), he added.
“We have decided to challenge the 224 segments of the assembly. We have not aligned ourselves with anyone. We are convinced that we are going to form a government alone. It is not about joining a party,” said Mr. Kumaraswamy.
