DC Exclusive: All roads led to LK Advani once, HDK 1st in line for Karnataka CM post

Bengaluru: BJP patriarch L.K. Advani was the most sought after leader for most politicians eyeing the top job in Karnataka about a decade ago. A day after former minister V. Srinivas Prasad turned his guns on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accusing him of trying to influence the elder politician and become CM with BJP support, a key insider said Janata Dal(S) state president, H.D. Kumaraswamy had tried the same tactic without much success.

Before executing a coup of sorts in 2006 with the help of BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa, which led to the formation of a JD(S)-BJP coalition, Mr Kumaraswamy had made a vain bid to cobble together a JD(S)-BJP alliance in 2004 itself.

According to a leader privy to Mr Kumaraswamy's meeting with Mr Advani, "No sooner were the results of the 2004 elections announced, Mr Kumaraswamy approached BJP leaders. With the help of a senior leader from south India, he met Mr Advani who was calling the shots in the party at that time and put forth his plan to form a JD (S)-BJP government," the leader revealed.

Mr Kumaraswamy proposed that the BJP back him for CM and could take the DCM post. "However, Mr Advani insisted that the BJP should get the CM post because it was the single largest party. The talks failed," sources said and the Congress formed the government with the help of JD(S).