JD(S) will form next govt in Karnataka, claims party chief Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru: Dismissing the suggestion that the state was heading for a hung Assembly, state JD(S) chief, H D Kumaraswamy asserted here on Monday he was confident his party would form the next government on its own.

Speaking to reporters after former Kawar MLA, Anand Asnotikar joined the JDS, Mr Kumaraswamy said Congress sponsored surveys themselves gave his party 30 seats at times and around 60 seats at others. "I will not talk lightly about these surveys. But we are also getting surveys done and going by them, I am sure we will form the government on our own," he declared.

Claiming that his party was ahead of both the Congress and BJP, he said, "They think the JD(S) has presence only in six to eight districts. But they are wrong. Farmers, who are in distress and youth, who have no jobs ,are with us."

Deve Gowda with Anand Asnotikar who joined the JD(S) on Monday

Meanwhile, JD(S) supremo, Deve Gowda mocked CM Siddaramaiah for saying his party was dead. "Without an office they thought this party would not survive. But now, after his party's surveys, he has begun to realise that this party is still alive. Wait till March and you will see many more developments," he promised.

In his view, Congress president, Rahul Gandhi was hoping for better days piggyback riding on the developmental works done by Mr Siddaramaiah in Karnataka .

Asked if he believed the Congress was peddling 'soft Hindutva,' Mr Gowda said the basis of Hindutva was tolerance for other religions. "How can one not tolerate another religion and call himself a Hindu?" he demanded.