Bengaluru: The Congress may be hoping for a tie-up with the Janata Dal (Secular) to take control of some of the zilla and taluk panchayats where no party has won a clear majority in the recent election, but the latter party is more inclined to joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party, State JD(S) chief H.D. Kumaraswamy, indicated here on Friday.
While Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dr G. Parameshwar said that CM Siddaramaiah and he would hold talks with JD(S) on forging alliances, Mr Kumaraswamy told reporters here that Union law and justice minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda had already met JD(S_ supremo H.D. Deve Gowda in Delhi to seek his support in these rural local bodies. "We have offers from both parties. We will have to decide which party we should go with," he said.
But he hinted at the possibility of the JDS going with the BJP rather than the Congress, saying, "The Congress party, which is in power, is moving away from the people and voters have shown their disenchantment with it. In two- and-a -half years we will have assembly elections again and if we go with the Congress party now, voters may not forgive us later."
Mr Kumaraswamy also said he was personally against forming an alliance with the Congress in one district and with the BJP in another as this could boomerang on the party in the long run as well. “ But before taking a call on all this we will consult our legislators and zilla panchayat members," he added.
