Bengaluru:
HD Kumaraswamy’s Janata Dal Secular today said they have got signals from both the Congress and the BJP as most exit polls predicted a hung assembly in Karnataka. Mr. Kumaraswamy, who is in Singapore, left on Wednesday night. Nevertheless, a senior leader said that it has been decided with whom they will partner.
Senior JD(S) leader Tanveer Ahmed told NDTV in an exclusive interview, “The decision has been taken. It has been taken. We will announce it to the public when the right time comes.”
The BJP denied that it had approached the JD(S) and continued to express confidence about a clear mandate.
In an exclusive interview to NDTV, BJP’s Shobha Karandlaje said that “there is no question of alliance, BJP has not approached JD(S)”.
“We are sure to get 120 seats. After getting information from our workers on the ground yesterday, we have reached 120 seats,” he said.
When asked about the BJP’s refusal, the JD(S) reiterated that the party has reached out to form the government.
Tanveer Ahmed said, “Yes, both (BJP and Congress) have tried to contact us… The JD(S) is in a position today that the parties would like to contact us today.”
“The people of Karnataka want us to keep an eye on both the national parties for the betterment of the state. And I don’t see any reason why regional parties would not want to work for the development of Karnataka,” he said. ,
When asked which party he would go with, he said, “Those who are going to work for the betterment of Karnataka and Kannadigas”.
Asked how many seats the party would win, Ahmed said, “Without us no one can form the government. I think it is a good number. We could not match the resources of the national parties in terms of money.” ” Strength, muscle power. We were a weak party. But we know that we have performed enough to be part of the government.”
Mr Kumaraswamy, who took over as the face of the JD(S) after party patriarch HD Deve Gowda stepped down due to ill health, is in Singapore for routine check-up, his office said.
Sources confirmed that he would be back on the day of counting.