'JD(S) may extend issue based support to BJP, never a political merger,' says Kumaraswamy

Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday remarked that while the Janata Dal (Secular) would never think of a political merger, it may extend issue-based support to the BJP in the coming days in public interest. In a series of tweets, Kumaraswamy also hit out at the Congress party for calling JD(S) a 'B team' of the BJP saying that it was the Congress that had come to its doorsteps to seek an alliance with him after polls. 

"The Janata Dal (S), which is a party of Kannadigas with self-esteem, will never think of political merger. The party, which is a strong voice of the people, will never display such stupidity. At the most we may extend issue-based support to the BJP if need be in the coming days in public interest. There is no importance for any imaginary reports on a political merger," tweeted Kumaraswamy. 

"The Congress high command, which had ridiculed us as BJP’s B team before the Assembly polls, actually came to our door steps after the polls and extended an invitation to form a coalition government with it," he added saying that his party would have never formed the government with the Congress if they were BJP's B team. The two parties had joined hands to form the government in Karnataka after no party managed to get a clear victory in the 2018 assembly polls. 

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"People trust the JD (S) which took up welfare measures like a waiver of farm loans and Badavara Bandhu besides conducting itself as per the aspirations of former prime minister H. D. Deve Gowda known for disciplined administration. I want to clarify that for such a party like the JD (S), the situation of committing suicide by merging itself with other party has not come. I don't foresee such a situation gripping us in future too," he added.

The JD(S) Chief's clarifications come after his party faced criticism from the Congress for supporting BJP's Karnataka Land Reforms (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020 in the Legislative Council. While the bill was initially opposed by both Congress and JD(S), the HD Dewe Gowda-led party extended support to the legislation in the Legislative Council drawing the Congress party's irk. 

(With Agency Inputs) 

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