JD-U offers to talk to JD-S to instal non-Congress Govt

The JD-U has offered to talk to JD-S to try to persuade it to join forces with the BJP to install a non-Congress Govt in Karnataka.

The JD-U on Saturday offered to talk to JD-S to try to persuade it to join forces with the BJP to install a non-Congress Government in Karnataka, where the elections have thrown up a hung Assembly.

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JD-U state unit President B Somashekar told reporters after a meeting of party office-bearers and newly elected MLAs that the electoral mandate in Karnataka is against the Congress both in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

He warned the JD-S that joining hands with Congress will amount to betrayal of people's mandate.

JD-U won five Assembly seats and BJP 79 to emerge as the largest single group in the 224-member Assembly, followed by the Congress with 65 and the JD-S 58. Out of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats, BJP bagged 18, the Congress eight and JD-S 2.

JD-U said that BJP-JD alliance being the largest group, should be invited by the Governor T N Chaturvedi to form the Government, adding, the BJP should have already taken the initiative to stake claim in this regard.

Asked if the JD-U would talk to the JD-S -- if sought so by the BJP -- to join forces to form a non-Congress Government, he said it would do so using its influence and contacts with "old friends" in the JD-S.