‘Cong-JD(S) have struck a deal in Hyderabad’: alleges Karnataka CM Bommai

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the Congress and the JD(S) had struck a deal for the Assembly elections to be held in the state.

Published on: Mar 30, 2023, 10:08:17 IST

PTIPosted by Yamini C S

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Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the Congress and the JD(S) had struck a deal for the Assembly elections to be held in the state. The agreement was done in Hyderabad, he said, a charge rejected outright by JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy.

CM Bommai claimed that the Congress was pleading to the BJP MLAs to come and join the party. (HT_PRINT)

The Chief Minister's comments came in the background of the Election Commission today announcing that the polls to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly would be held on May 10.

READ | Karnataka election 2023: Check out list of key candidates

Speaking to reporters, Bommai claimed that the Congress was pleading to the BJP MLAs to come and join the party.

Responding to a query on the Congress's charge that there was an understanding between the BJP and the JD(S), the Chief Minister said, "There is nothing of that sort. In fact, there was a meeting in Hyderabad between the Congress leaders and the JD(S), according to my information. A deal has been stuck there between them.”

Bommai said the process of releasing BJP candidates' list for the Assembly polls will start after a week.

READ | ‘BJP is winning on May 13, no doubt’: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai

Kumaraswamy took objection to Bommai’s statement. “I demand that the Chief Minister disclose the name of the leaders who met in Hyderabad and the place where the meeting took place,” he said.

The JD(S) leader said he found the CM's allegations too trivial to react to. He added that both the Congress and the BJP called the JD(S) a B team of each other. The two national parties had nothing else to speak about the JD(S), he added.

“We decided to contest all 224 Assembly segments. We did not align with anybody. We are confident that we will form the government on our own. There is no question of joining hands with any party," Kumaraswamy said.

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Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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