No one can do anything without JD(S) after 2023 K\'taka Assembly poll: HD Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday indicated his party would have a crucial role to play in Karnataka after the 2023 Assembly polls as he claimed that no one can do anything without the party.

The former Chief Minister said defections have become a common phenomenon in all parties ahead of elections these days as ideology has no buyers.

"...JD(S) will grow stronger. Not only that, in 2023, too, no one can do anything without JD(S). I'm not saying this out of ego for there is a section of people that has saved and nurtured this party, those people will never leave this party," Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said his party is whatever it is today because of the workers and not because of leaders. He hit out at now Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, who was earlier with the JD(S), for belittling his party.

"...without any leaders, we have won seats in various elections. Even when Siddaramaiah was with JD(S) we used to get 19 per cent vote share and after him leaving the party too it has remained intact, who is responsible for it, our karyakartas, I'm not saying it is because of me," he added.

Kumaraswamy had earlier announced "Mission 123" (winning minimum 123 seats in the 224- member Assembly) to bring the party to power independently after the 2023 Assembly polls.

In the 2018 Assembly polls, there was no clear mandate for any party and BJP, the single largest party, failed to muster numbers. And the Congress, JD(S) joined hands to form a coalition government under Kumaraswamy's leadership. It collapsed in 2019 due to internal squabbling and defection of MLAs.

The regional party had also been in coalition with the BJP in the past.

Kumaraswamy said he won't make claims that leaders from both Congress and BJP are eager to join JD(S) like it was being done by the two national parties.

"We are a small party...rather than people from other parties joining us, we have created an atmosphere for youth to join us and grow themselves as leaders, such an atmosphere in a way has always existed in this party," he said.