HDK U-turn: Will back Yeddy, if BJP falls short

Former Chief Minister, H D Kumaraswamy, who has been blowing hot and cold on the BJP since it dislodged his government in July, finally admitted here on Saturday that his Janata Dal (Secular) party could support the Yediyurappa government should it fall short of numbers following the December assembly bypolls.

Justifying his decision, he said the state was still recovering from the recent floods and was not ready for a mid -term poll. “In these circumstances, if the BJP fails to get the required number of seats in the byelections, the JD(S) may consider supporting it,” he said. participating in a Meetthe-Press programme of the

Bengaluru Press Club.

Mr Kumaraswamy, who was a bitter critic of Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa a mere two months ago, has of late been singing a different tune. Pushed to the wall by his party MLAs threatening to split it, he appears to be offering them the possibility of returning to power in a tie-up with the BJP this time.

Despite his admission, Mr Kumaraswamy denied he had gone soft on the BJP. “Some say, I have changed because of the phone tapping and other issues. But nobody can touch me,” he asserted claiming that he had no love or hate for the BJP. “I still maintain that this government will not last long,” he added, puzzlingly contradicting his own earlier statement.

Hubballi: JD(S) leader Basavaraj Horatti said that party state president and former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy may support the BJP government after by-elections, keeping the interest of flood victims in mind. He said that both CM B.S. Yediyurappa and Kumaraswamy might have discussed the issue of stability of the government and providing JD(S) support to stabilise it when they met at a private function on Friday. “There are no permanent enemies or friends in politics,” Mr Horatti said. He also said that the BJP should keep its promise made to the disqualified MLAs as the party would not have come to power without their sacrifice.