‘I asked people for clear mandate, but now I am at Congress' mercy', says Kumaraswamy

Amid discussions over the sharing of cabinet berths, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday lashed out at those questioning his decision to ally with the Congress and said that "there are some compulsions in politics".

Kumaraswamy had on Saturday said there were some "issues" on portfolio allocation with his party's coalition partner Congress. He also said the expansion of his Cabinet would take place once state Congress leaders get an approval from their high command.

"I asked people for clear mandate to do their bidding. But now, I am here indebted to Congress. Some people say that I had said that I wouldn't take anyone's support to form govt. Who are they to tell me? There are some compulsions in politics," Kumaraswamy told reporters today.

Parleys began between the Congress and the JD(S) on the issue of Cabinet expansion soon after Kumaraswamy proved his three-day-old government's majority on the floor of the Assembly on Friday. Karnataka Congress leaders on Saturday left for New Delhi by a chartered plane to discuss with the high command the issues relating to Cabinet expansion and portfolio allocation.

According to sources, Kumaraswamy had met former chief minister and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister Parameshwara and Congress general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal before they left for Delhi.

It has already been decided that Congress would have 22 ministers and JDS 12 in the new cabinet.