‘JDS will disintegrate, no coalition scope’: Congress's Jairam Ramesh on alliance buzz

Jairam Ramesh claimed that the JDS will “disintegrate” after the Karnataka assembly election results on Saturday.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday claimed that the Janata Dal (Secular) will “disintegrate” after the Karnataka assembly election results on Saturday and said there was no scope for a coalition government with the HD Kumaraswamy's party. Ramesh's comments come even as the JD(S) distanced itself from the statement made by Tanveer Ahmed, a former spokesperson, who had earlier claimed that his party had already decided who it would align with before the results of the Karnataka assembly election.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh addresses a press conference.(ANI file)

“I am absolutely sure that JDS will disintegrate… This time I do not think that there is any scope for a coalition government with JD(S),” the Congress general secretary in-charge communications told news agency ANI.

Ahmed, earlier on Friday, told ANI that the party has already decided which party they would support in forming the government after the results are declared.

"We have already decided with whom we are going to form the government. We will announce it to the public when the appropriate time comes," ANI quoted Ahmed as saying.

However, Karnataka JD(S) chief CM Ibrahim sought to downplay his party colleague's claim, telling reporters that Ahmed was no longer a spokesperson for the party. “We have not decided on an alliance with any party. Tanveer Ahmed is claiming that he is a party spokesperson and told the media that the decision on the alliance is made. Let me clarify that he is not with the JDS anymore, and his comments are baseless. We will wait for tomorrow's result,” Ibrahim said.

The Congress is expected to have a clear edge in Karnataka in the assembly elections held on Wednesday with four exit polls giving it a full majority and some predicting a hung assembly with an advantage to the party.

Meanwhile, Ramesh said the Congress's victory in the state would be Prime Minister Narendra Modi's defeat “because no one campaigned in Karnataka except him”.

“After (BJP's) Karnataka's defeat, Delhi's door is open for the Congress in 2024,” the Congress leader added.

Kumaraswamy, however, said that JD(S) will be the "King" in the polls. "We are requesting people to bless JD(S) candidates to get proper development. Our party going to be a King," said the former chief minister had said after casting his vote in Ramanagara on Wednesday.