Karnataka - Mysore

Kumaraswamy rules out alliance with Congress

MYSORE: Former Chief Minister and Janata Dal (S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday ruled out any electoral alliance with the Congress for the coming byelection to the Assembly from eight constituencies.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said that electoral understanding between the Congress and the Janata Dal (S) for the forthcoming byelection was a closed chapter and his party had decided to go it alone. “Our party president H.D. Deve Gowda has made the party’s stand clear in this regard,” he added.

The Janata Dal (S) was prepared to face the byelection. “Party workers are our strength and they will strive for the party’s victory,” he said.

Accusing the BJP Government of glorifying the party leaders at the cost of taxpayer’s money, the former Chief Minister said that “Hampi Utsav” was nothing but a BJP function. “What was the need to project L.K. Advani in the utsav. Was it a party function?”

Disputing the claims by the BJP leaders that the results of the recent byelection to the Legislative Council were an indicator to the victory of their party in the coming byelection to the Assembly from eight constituencies, he said only the elected representatives of local bodies had voted in the Council election.

But the situation would be different in the coming byelection.

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