Modi behind horse-trading in Karnataka’s BJP: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru, May 16: Karnataka’s outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of encouraging horse-trading to lure Congress and JD-S legislators to their party for forming the government after the May 12 assembly election gave a fractured mandate. “Modi and Shah are supporting BJP leaders in horse-trading to poach legislators of our party and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) to prevent us from forming the next government in the state,” Siddaramaiah told the media here.

Asserting that the party would not allow the BJP to form a government in the state at any cost, Siddaramaiah said none of the Congress legislators were missing or likely to defect to the BJP. “We have a plan to safeguard our MLAs, who are together and will not join the BJP, which has 8 less seats for the 112-halfway mark and prove majority,” Siddaramaiah said.

“We have extended our support to the JD-S to form the new government, with its state leader H.D. Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister. As we have the numbers (118), Governor Vajubhai R. Vala should call our alliance first than the BJP, which does not have the required numbers,” pointed out Siddaramaiah. Both the post-poll alliance partners met Vala on Tuesday evening and staked claim to form the new government in the southern state. (IANS)