Bengaluru: HD Kumaraswamy's Janata Dal Secular said on Thursday that they have received feelers from both Congress and the BJP as most exit polls predicted a hung assembly in Karnataka. Mr Kumaraswamy is in Singapore, having left on Wednesday night. Still, a senior leader said it has been decided who they will partner with.
"The decision is done. It's taken. We will announce it to the public when it is right time to," senior JD(S) leader Tanveer Ahmed told NDTV in an exclusive interview.
The BJP has denied it had contacted the JD(S) and continued to exude confidence about a clear mandate.
In an exclusive interview to NDTV, the BJP's Shobha Karandlaje said there is "no question of coalition at all, the BJP has not contacted the JD(S)".
"We are sure to get 120 seats. After gathering information on ground from our karyakartas yesterday, we have arrived at a number -- 120," she added.
Asked about BJP denials, the JD(S) reiterated that the party has reached out about forming a government.
"Yes, both (BJP and the Congress) have tried reaching out to us... The JD(S) is in such a position today that parties would like to reach out to us," said Tanveer Ahmed.
"The people of Karnataka wants us to keep check on both national parties for the betterment of the state. And I don't think a there's any reason why a regional party wouldn't want to work for the development of Karnataka," he added.
Asked which party they would go with, he said, "The people who are going to work for the betterment of Karnataka and Kannadigas".
Asked if the party has arrived at the number of seats it would win, Mr Ahmed said, "Nobody can form a government without us. That's a good number, I think. We could not match the resources of the national parties in terms of money, might, muscle. We were a weak party. But we know we performed enough to be a part of the government".
Mr Kumaraswamy, who took over as the face of JD(S) after party patriarch HD Deve Gowda took a backseat due to ill health, is in Singapore for a routine check-up, his office said. Sources confirmed that he will be back on the day of counting.