HD Kumaraswamy challenges Siddaramaiah to float his own party in Karnataka

Former chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy challenged the senior Congress leader to float a party on his own before the upcoming assembly elections. He also challenged him to win at least five seats in Karnataka by forming his own party.

Speaking in Karnataka’s Raichur, Kumaraswamy said, “If Siddaramaiah is such a tall leader, I challenge him to form his own party by stepping out of Congress. Can he at least win five seats, if he does that? There is no way.”

Kumaraswamy’s comments came after Siddaramaiah said JDS cannot win more than 20 seats in the assembly elections. The JDS leader further said, "I would like to inform DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah that after this election, the JDS will shine brightly across the country. The target of 123 seats will be achieved. I shall warn them that if they continue to talk ill about JDS, they will lose their existing seats."

In 2018, JDS won 37 MLA seats in Karnataka and HD Kumaraswamy became the chief minister of the state after a post poll alliance with the Congress which won 78 seats. BJP remained as a single largest party by winning 104 seats. In 2019, the BJP came to power after the coalition government was toppled.

The southern state is expected to witness assembly elections in mid-April or the beginning of May.