Will not engage in any 'wicked act' of bringing down govt: HDK

Despite 15 to 20 BJP MLAs were ready to come out of their own party, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy clarified that he would not disturb the B S Yediyurappa-led government in Karnataka. The leader said that the state's development is more important than anything else.

Bengaluru: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Monday said he would not get involved in any 'wicked act' of bringing down the B S Yediyurappa-led government in Karnataka, amid claims that 15 to 20 BJP MLAs were ready to come out. Clarifying that he would not disturb the government, the former Chief Minister said for his development of the state was important.

"With great difficulty, you (Yediyurappa) have become Chief Minister for the fourth time, (I am) happy, I have nowhere said that I will disturb your government. Even now some people come and ask why I'm sitting silent when 15-20 people are ready to come out of BJP and why don't I make an attempt (to poach them), Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters in Hassan, he sought to know why he should get entangled in that 'sludge' and he was not in a hurry. "I will not get involved in a wicked act of removing a responsible government as Yediyurappa did. For me the development of the state is more important than anything else," he said.

Though Kumaraswamy had raised questions about the longevity of the BJP government ahead of the December 5 bypolls, he had even then given clear indications that he would not attempt to pull down the administration as it would affect the development of the state. The ruling BJP had swept the by-elections by winning 12 of the total 15 seats, helping the Yediyurappa government retain a majority in the Assembly.

With BJP winning 12 of the 15 assembly constituencies, it's numbers went up from 105 (including an independent) to 117, which is well ahead of the halfway mark of 111 in a 223- member Assembly (two seats-- Maski and R R Nagar-- are vacant due to pending litigation in the High Court). The BJP came to power after the Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) coalition government collapsed as 17 MLAs had rebelled against the alliance leadership and resigned as legislators, to later favour the saffron party.