Karnataka Chief Minister-designate and Janata Dal Secular (JDS) leader HD Kumaraswamy has rubbished reports of resentment within ally Congress over the post-poll alliance between the two parties. When asked by mediapersons about the reports, the JDS leader termed them as “fake news”.
As a reporter of news agency ANI asked the question, the Chief Minister-designate responded by saying, “Who told you? This is all bogus and fake news. This is not true.”
Meanwhile, on the issue of the alliance completing full term in power in the state, senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar, who has been hailed for keeping the flock together when the situation was not firm for the alliance, said that “time will answer” the question.
“Time will answer. I don't want to answer it now. We have various issues, options before us, I can't tell right now,” said the senior Congress leader, apparently skirting the issue of resentment within the grand old party.
He further talked about “swallowing the bitterness” with Kumaraswamy-led JDS, saying that the country needs a “secular government” in the present situation.
"Rahul Gandhi has taken decision that there should be secular government here. That's what the entire country needs and that's why we have taken this stand (alliance with JDS). I had to swallow all this bitterness, this is my duty," said Shivakumar.
This comes a day after veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said there should be a give-and-take equation between alliance partners Congress and JDS.
"The high command will take the decision. We, being a national party, supported JDS - a regional party, to uphold Constitutional principles and the democracy. Keeping everything in mind, there ought to be a 'give and take' equation," Kharge had said.
Following the declaration of the results of the Karnataka Assembly elections on May 15, the state witnessed huge political drama. After much political parleys, BS Yeddyurappa of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was invited by Governor Vajubhai Vala to form government. The Lingayat strongman even took the oath but quit the post before taking trust vote in the Assembly due to lack of numbers. This paved the way for the JDS-Congress alliance to come to power. Kumaraswamy’s oath-taking ceremony was initially slated on Monday, but was deferred to Wednesday in the wake of the death anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
