Congress, HD Kumaraswamy's Party Struck A Deal: Basavaraj Bommai

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said today that the Congress and HD Kumaraswamy's Janata Dal Secular have struck a deal for the assembly elections to be held in the state on May 10. The agreement was made in Hyderabad, he said. The allegation has been rejected by Mr Kumaraswamy.

The Chief Minister's comments came in the backdrop of the Election Commission's announcement of the poll date for the 224-member Karnataka Assembly.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Bommai claimed the Congress has been pleading with the BJP MLAs to come and join the party.

Responding to a query on the Congress charge that there was an understanding between the BJP and the JD(S), the Chief Minister said: "There is nothing of that sort. In fact, there was a meeting in Hyderabad between the Congress leaders and the JD(S), according to my information. A deal has been stuck there between them."

Mr Bommai said the process of releasing BJP candidates' list for the assembly polls will begin after a week.

Mr Kumaraswamy took objection to Mr Bommai's statement. "I demand that the Chief Minister disclose the name of the leaders who met in Hyderabad and the place where the meeting took place," he said.

The JD(S) chief said he found the Chief Minister's allegations too trivial to respond to. Both Congress and the BJP have called the JD(S) a "B team" of the other. The two national parties had nothing else to say about the JD(S), he added.

"We have decided to contest all 224 assembly segments. We did not align with anybody. We are confident that we will form government on our own. There is no question of joining hands with any party," Mr Kumaraswamy said.