After nearly 14 years, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) joined hands against the BJP in Karnataka, on Thursday. And like in 2004, the two parties joined hands to oppose the formation of a BJP government.
The BJP might have emerged the single largest party in 2018, but things were not so clear cut in 2004.
In the 2004 Assembly elections, the BJP won 79 seats, the JD(U) won 5, the Congress won 65, the JD(S) won 58, and others won 17 seats. At this juncture, the Congress and JD(S) formed a coalition government headed by N. Dharam Singh, to keep the BJP at bay. JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy became the Deputy Chief Minister of the State.
However, in 2006, the JD(S) broke away from the Congress and formed the government with the support of the BJP. Mr. Kumaraswamy became the Chief Minister, while BJP leader B.S.Yeddyurappa became the Deputy Chief Minister. But this alliance broke the very next year, in 2007.
Following the turmoil, the BJP went on to form the government with the support of independent candidates in 2008, after bagging 110 seats. Mr. Yeddyurappa was the Chief Minister then.
Denied the chief ministerial post, Mr. Siddaramaiah, who was with the JD(S), walked out of the party in 2006 and joined the Congress. When the Congress won the 2013 elections, Mr. Siddaramaiah became the CM and went on to complete a full five-year term. He is the second CM to complete a full term in the last 40 years.
