As the counting of votes begins in Karnataka, all eyes are on the Janata Dal (Secular) party which could play the role of kingmaker. However, party leader HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday morning informed reporters that neither the BJP nor Congress had reached out to him.

"No one has contacted me till now. There is no demand for me, I am a small party," said HD Kumaraswamy.

#WATCH | "No one has contacted me till now. There is no demand for me, I am a small party" says JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, ahead of Karnataka election results. pic.twitter.com/0Mkbqdd7Tr

— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2023

On the voting day (May 10), Kumaraswamy made a similar statement, claiming, "I am not a B-team of BJP or Congress. I am a B-team of Kannadigas."

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When asked about exit polls predicting 30-32 seats for the JD(S), Kumaraswamy said that in the next 2-3 hours it will become clear. He added that he was hoping for a "good development" but had no demands.

Speaking to a reporter, Kumaraswamy alleged that the party would lose around 20-25 votes simply due to financial reasons.

"That's why, actually, because of money issue we are losing 20-25 seats," he said.

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However, according to Congress leader DK Shivakumar, Kumaraswamy had previously claimed that JD(S) would win a clear majority in what Shivakumar deemed an attempt to motivate party workers.

In response to Kumaraswamy's comments on a possible coalition, Shivakumar said that JD(S) members should stop "wasting their careers" and join the Congress.

First Published:May 13, 2023 8:35 AM IST