Congress-JDS coalition: BJP says it won't fish in troubled waters

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka cheif minister HD Kumaraswamy

Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa today said the party would "silently" watch the goings-on in the ruling Congress-JDS coalition without trying to take any advantage of the "confusing" situation and instead focus on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking to reporters after his sudden trip to Ahmedabad to meet BJP president Amit Shah set off speculation that the party might fish in the trouble waters, he said it would play the role of a responsible opposition and focus on winning maximum seats in the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

"... There is a confusing situation... Siddaramaiah (CLP leader) makes some statement and Kumaraswamy (chief minister) makes a different statement. In this confusing situation we don't want to intervene," he said.

"I have requested all our BJP leaders that in such a situation we should silently watch the political developments, without speaking much," he said.

Yeddyurappa's trip had fuelled speculation that several disgruntled Congress MLAs were in touch with him and ready to switch over to the BJP, which might again try its hand to form a government in the state.

Clarifying on his visit,the BJP leader said he had gone to invite Shah for the party state executive meeting on June 29.

Yeddyurappa said the party did not have anything to do with the political uncertainty and added that media speculation (about BJP) have no basis.

"They (Congress-JDS) are fighting against each other, it is left to them," he said.

Differences have emerged between the Congress and the JDS on a host of issues, including presentation of a full-fledged budget.

Former chief minister and chairman of the Congress-JD(S) coordination committee Siddaramaiah had openly suggested that there was no need for a fresh budget and insisted that a supplementary budget would do.

On Sunday, a video clip purportedly showing Siddaramaiah expressing displeasure over presentation of a fresh budget to some Congress MLAs went viral.

Kumaraswamy had yesterday sharply reacted to this and said an attempt was being made to create confusion about presentation of the full-fledged budget.

The chief minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, is scheduled to present the first budget of the coalition on July 5.

Noting that political developments in the state would be discussed at the June 29 state executive, Yeddyurappa said his party would work as a responsible opposition.

He also hit out at the government for not intimating MLAs until now about the assembly session from July 2.

Yeddyurappa said the June 29 party meeting would discuss preparations for the Lok Sabha polls.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah's expectation is that we win the maximum number of seats from Karnataka. So we will begin our work on this. We will discuss about it," he said.