Secret pact between Congress and JD(S): BJP

Bengaluru: Alleging a tacit understanding between the Congress and Janata Dal (S) ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls,  BJP spokesperson and former MLC G Madhusudhan said his party will work out a different strategy to come to power in Karnataka.

Addressing a news conference here on Tuesday, he said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and  JD(S) National President H.D. Deve Gowda hugged each other at a function in Hassan on Monday that clearly indicated a secret pact between the two parties. "Let the Congress and  JD(S) work out a strategy but none can prevent the saffron party from coming to power in the Assembly polls. We will consider any pact between these two parties as a challenge and work with our mission to win 150 plus seats".

He said the CM, in his speech had mentioned that though he and Mr Deve Gowda belonged to different parties, they were on the same plane. By saying this Mr Siddaramaiah had hit three birds with a stone. Firstly, he had given a  message that Mr Gowda was with him if some Congress leaders came with a proposal to make a dalit the next CM. Second, since Mr Gowda was with him, the will of state JD(S) President H D Kumaraswamy would not prevail. Thirdly, Siddaramaiah would strike a deal with JD(S) through former minister  H.D. Revanna who was close to him, he reasoned.