Cong and JD(S)- a complicated love story

Like several instances in the past, the electorate has thrown up a hung assembly in Karnataka. The Congress has in the past, failed to form government in Goa and Manipur where the BJP moved fast to form post-poll alliances. However, the JD(S) and Congress has precedent and quite an interesting history – both in state and national politics.

In 2004 Karnataka elections, the Congress won 65 seats while JD(S) had 58 and they managed to side-track the BJP which had 79 seats. N Dharam Singh was the Chief Minister while outgoing Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah – then of JD(S) – was the Deputy CM. However, its current JD(S) chief ministerial candidate Kumaraswamy led the coup and broke the alliance in 2006. By Jan 2006, Kumaraswamy gathered 46 JD(S) and 77 BJP MLAs and withdrew support from the Congress and aligned with the saffron unit. The two agreed to rule for on a rotational basis for 20 months each.

However, Kumaraswamy would resign as CM at the end of a 20-month-long stint in 2008 after the BJP took away support because he failed to honour his commitment. Since then, the JD(S) has been out of power in Bengaluru. Interestingly, ahead of the 2018 elections, in March, Kumaraswamy had slammed an arrogant Siddaramiah claiming that the Congress had 'begged' him to fight the Bengaluru civic poll elections.

This was in response to Siddaramaiah's claim that they wouldn't take help from JD(S) to send a third candidate to Rajya Sabha from the state.

When Congress pulled the plug on Deve Gowda's government

Going back in time, the two parties tangoed in national politics as well. The Congress had supported HD Deve Gowda's United Front Government. In 1996, BJP emerged as the single-largest party. However, the Vajypayee-headed government only lasted 13 days and the Congress supported a United Front government led by Deve Gowda. Gowda lost the PM's post when Congress withdrew support, lasting from June 1, 1996 to April 21, 1997.

The United Front consisted of a host of parties and Gowda was asked to lead the government after VP Singh and Jyoti Basu declined. It speaks much of the Congress' current state in Indian politics that they are willing to put up state government led by a JD(S) leader to prevent the party from being in in power in just two and half states.

Interestingly, before the elections Kumaraswamy had predicted he'd be king. Dismissing the talk of a hung assembly he had said: "Not kingmaker, people will bless me as a king, that full confidence is there. You have given chance to both Congress and BJP, you have seen their work, and you have experienced it. Give me one chance; I'm going with this message." At this point, it looks like he was partially right.