Kumaraswamy dares BSY to seek fresh mandate

However, he said he would not approach the Karnataka Governor to demand the dissolution of the assembly.

JD(S) -- a lead player in the state politics -- is keeping a close watch on the Karnataka crisis.

Kumaraswamy said he was not in touch with any BJP leader and denied that his party was exploring the possibility of aligning with one of the factions in the state BJP in case of a break-up in the party unit.

"I have not met any BJP leader after their intra-party activities started after the differences. Until now I have not met anybody. For our party it is not necessary to meet BJP leaders at this stage," he told reporters here.

He, however, said if Yeddyurappa was confident that he still enjoys the support of the people, he should seek a fresh mandate to defuse the crisis in his party.

"If he has such faith in the people of Karnataka, he must go to the people. This kind of situation is continuing for 10-12 days. The administration is going to collapse. It has already collapsed," he said, adding "therefore, I am demanding that he must go to the people".

"If the Chief Minister has got any sense, then he must dissolve the assembly," he added.
Kumaraswamy left for Bangalore along with his father and party chief H D Deve Gowda.

The JD(S) leader said after the floods in the state, Yeddyurappa had collected crores of rupees from the people and then claimed that this shows the faith of the masses in his administration.

Earlier on his arrival here, Kumaraswamy had said, "the drama is going on between two factions (of BJP) and it is not necessary for me to answer for their action. Nobody from BJP till now has had discussions with me. I think they will sort out their problems among themselves. It is not for our party to align with any of them."

JD(S) sources also denied that Kumaraswamy and Gowda (who was also camping here) had parleys with BJP leaders. Speculation was rife that JD (S) was exploring the possibility of supporting one of the BJP factions.

A party leader said that Kumaraswamy had come to participate in the meeting of the Parliamentary committee on rural development, of which he is a member.