No issues over seat-sharing, says HD Kumaraswamy on alliance with BJP for Lok Sabha polls

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‘Intention is to win 28 seats’

“There are no issues with respect to the alliance in any way, there are also no issues regarding seat-sharing. Our intention is — the alliance should win all the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state,” Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said both parties would take the decisions together.

JD(S) formally joined the BJP-led NDA in September last year and both parties decided to fight the Lok Sabha polls together.

To a question regarding Manjunath contesting the polls, the JDS leader said, “Everyone has a positive opinion of him for his service to the state and to the medical field, based on that some people have expressed their feelings about bringing him to politics, but he has said that he has not decided yet. Let’s see when the time comes, what to decide.”

There is intense speculation about Manjunath being fielded as the alliance’s candidate from Bengaluru Rural constituency, currently represented by Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar’s brother DK Suresh.

According to some reports, he may contest on a BJP ticket, based on the arrangement between both parties.

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‘Will know the result soon’

Asked about the possibility of JD(S) leader D Kupendra Reddy winning the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, Kumaraswamy said, “All of us take up any journey with a desire to win the goal. Whether the desire will be fulfilled or not will be known after polls on 27 February.”

BJP-JD(S) combine has fielded Reddy as its second candidate, even though the alliance has the strength to win only one out of four seats.

Kumaraswamy said he has not been able to participate in the ongoing Assembly session as doctors have advised him to “voice rest” and not to speak much.

Hitting out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for his recent speech in the Legislative Council, targeting the central government and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while demanding central funds for the state, he accused him of bringing down the state’s pride.

Seeking to know whether the chief minister was turning Karnataka into a “beggar state”, he said, “Karnataka is a wealthy state. When it comes to its own tax revenues, Karnataka stands number one in the country. There is no shortage of funds. To quench your thirst for loot you are emptying the state’s coffers. The coffers are getting empty not because of guarantee schemes.”

He also alleged that the state government is constantly in a confrontation mode with the Centre.

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