Karnataka election: JD(S) must tell the public which side it’s on, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday asked the JD(S) to pick a side and clarify its stand on the constant speculation about which party the Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) would support in the upcoming assembly elections slated on Saturday. He was speaking at a road show at Malur in Kolar district on Monday.

"JD(S) has to say whether they are Janata Dal secular, or Janata Dal sangh Parivar. Karnataka wants to know," he said.

Till yesterday, the Janata Dal (Secular) has been maintaining that that it would not ally either with the Congress or the BJP to form a government in Karnakata. In what now seems like a slight shift in its stand, JD (S)' state chief HD Kumaraswamy today said that his party will form the government with any party that implements its manifesto.

Meanwhile, BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa, speaking elsewhere, also dismissed a a tie-up with JDS while JDS state president H D Kumaraswamy too ruled out joining hands with the BJP or the Congress.

With majority of opinion polls predicting a hung assembly in Karnataka assembly elections, the JD (S) may emerge as the 'kingmaker'. Many opinion polls say that both BJP and Congress may fall just short of the majority - 113 seats - mark in which case alliance with the JD (S)' would become a key factor to form a government.