HD Kumaraswamy pledges to bring JD(S) back to power on its own

Bengaluru: JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Monday dismissed talks that his party was merging with the ruling BJP and pledged to bring the party back to power on its own in Karnataka in the 2023 Assembly polls.

The former chief minister's comments came in the backdrop of speculation over the JD(S) merging with the BJP.

Senior JD(S) leader Basavaraj Horatti on Saturday termed the BJP and JD(S) ‘natural allies’ and that his party’s alliance with the BJP was only going to grow stronger. “There is no question of merging a secular party like the JD(S) with the BJP. Our support to the BJP is only issue-based,” Kumaraswamy said, adding that the party will independently fight the next assembly elections and preparations have already begun.


Dismissing Horatti’s statement, the former chief minister said it did not reflect the party’s stand. “People who talk about the merger are those who seem to have made up their mind to quit the party. One should not give too much weight to their comments,” he said.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, Kumaraswamy had said: “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 an issue-based support to the BJP if need be.”

Chief minister B S Yediyurappa and Kumaraswamy have been cosying up of late, sparking rumours of a merger. JD(S) has also gone soft on the BJP on several occasions in the past few months. In the recent legislative session, the JD(S) helped the BJP clear a contentious farm bill in the Upper House, while the Congress opposed it. The JD(S) also backed the BJP in its attempt to topple legislative council chairman Prathapachandra Shetty from the Congress.