BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, who is also in charge of party affairs in Karnataka, has ruled out the possibility of the party forming an alliance with the JD(S). This resulted in JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who had of late become soft towards the BJP, hitting out at the party.
Earlier, replying to a query from reporters on whether the BJP would join hands with the JD(S), Mr. Singh, in Shivamogga to take part in a BJP meeting on Sunday, said there was no need for an alliance with the JD(S).
“We are the ruling party in Karnataka. Ours is the number one party in the State. We will come to power on our own, whenever the elections are held. Why should we go with someone else,” he asked.
This angered Mr. Kumaraswamy, who took to Twitter to express his views.
‘BJP behind rumours’
He accused the BJP of floating rumours about an alliance and declared that his party did not require any friendship with the BJP. “The gram panchayat election results have made the BJP realise that efforts to finish off the JD(S) have failed. That is why the BJP is now trying to play a drama of deceit and there has been an organised way to spread rumours of the JD(S) joining the NDA,” he said in a series of tweets. He asked, “Who from the JD(S) has submitted an application to the BJP for an alliance?”
He also tweeted that rumours were being floated that the JD(S) would join the NDA and that he would be made a Union Minister. “These are a bundle of lies. This is not ethical politics. By saying these things, the morale of JD(S) workers and sympathisers is being affected. There have been many who tried to break the JD(S) by offering friendship. It is now the turn of the BJP.”
The former Chief Minister also sought to remind Mr. Singh that he had an excellent relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi — one better than the equations that many State BJP leaders had with the PM. “Yediyurappa is a senior leader and we have respect for him. We also do not want to oppose just because we are in the Opposition. If the BJP indulges in false propaganda, it will affect this respect and relationship. Let the BJP be cautious of the JD(S),” he said.
