CM Yediyurappa, H D Kumaraswamy dismiss BJP, JD(S) merger rumours

H D Kumaraswamy said that JD(S) would support BJP only on certain issues

Amid rumours of a possible merger of JD(S) with BJP, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa issued a statement dismissing them as "far from truth".

JD(S), Yediyurappa said, "was only cooperating with BJP regarding Legislative Council chairman (no-confidence motion and election) and there was nothing else," adding that any reports of JD(S) MLAs joining BJP or the merger of the party state units were lies.

Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy took to Twitter during the day to dismiss the same, saying that JD(S) would never think of a merger and will only have an "issue-based agreement" with the saffron party.

A statement issued by the Chief Ministers' Office on Sunday was following rumours of an impending merger over the last couple of months. Acknowledging that JD(S) has backed the ruling BJP in moving a no-confidence motion against Legislative Council Chairman Prathapchandra Shetty, the statement said that "misleading reports of JD(S) MLAs joining BJP or the merger if JD(S) with BJP was pure lies."

"JD(S) is cooperating with us only regarding Legislative Council chairman. Since Kumaraswamy has stated that they will not back the Cow Slaughter Bill, we will issue an ordinance to the effect. Elections are still two and half years away. Reports appearing the media are far from truth," the statement added.

Kumaraswamy in a tweet thread said that reports of merger were fictitious and hold no significance. "I would like to clarify that JD(S) has not and will not reach a stage where it will have to commit suicide by merging with another party," he said. There was no internal pact between the two parties as alleged by Congress, Kumaraswamy said, adding "only issue-based agreements were possible."

The rumours, earlier in the day, had elicited strong reactions from JD(S) legislators. While party MLA G T Devegowda said that such a move was impossible until JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda was alive, another MLA S R Srinivas threatened to quit the party in case of a merger.