HDK U-turn: Will back Yeddy, if BJP falls short

Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister, H D Kumaraswamy, who has been blowing hot and cold on the BJP since it dislodged his government in July,  finally admitted here on Saturday that his Janata Dal (Secular) party could support the Yediyurappa government should it fall short of numbers following the December assembly bypolls.

Justifying his decision, he said the state was still recovering from the recent floods and was not ready for a mid -term poll. “In these  circumstances, if the BJP fails to get the required number of seats in the byelections, the JD(S) may consider supporting it,”  he said. participating in a Meet- the-Press programme of the Bengaluru Press Club.

Mr Kumaraswamy, who was a bitter critic of Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa a mere two months ago, has of late been singing a different tune. Pushed to the wall by his party MLAs threatening to split it, he appears to be offering them the  possibility of returning to power in a tie-up with the BJP this time.

Despite his admission, Mr Kumaraswamy  denied he had gone soft on the BJP. “Some say, I have changed because of the phone tapping and other issues. But nobody can touch me,” he asserted claiming that he had no love or hate for the BJP.  “I still maintain that this government will not last long,”  he added, puzzlingly contradicting his own earlier statement.