Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday dismissed reports which suggested that a section of his party Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) was in favour of supporting the BJP.
According to reports, a section of JDS MLAs had allegedly requested Kumaraswamy to give "outside support" to the new BJP government in Karnataka.
Kumaraswamy in a tweet contested it: "I have gone through the baseless report about (JDS) developing relationship with BJP. Our party MLAs and workers should not give ear to such rumours. We will build the party by serving the people. Our pro-people struggle is continuous," he wrote in Kannada.
The BJP government headed by Yediyurappa took office on Friday after the collapse of the Congress-JDS coalition ministry with the defeat of the motion of confidence in the assembly on Tuesday last.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister and JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda Saturday ruled out any support to the BJP government headed by B S Yediyurappa, saying his party would play the role of a "constructive" opposition.
"We are going to play a constructive role. As a regional party we will oppose where we have to oppose. That's all. If you (Yediyurappa) do something good for the state, we will welcome it," Deve Gowda told reporters here.
On Friday, a senior JDS leader G T Devegowda had said: "Some have suggested that we should sit in opposition, while some legislators are of the opinion that we should support the BJP from outside."
The JDS patriarch clarified said, "There is no big deal in saying so (support to BJP). His (H T Devegowda's) intention was that the finance bill was passed (before July 31) because it was a budget presented by Kumaraswamy."
Gowda explained that G T Devegowda intended to say that the JD(S) would not oppose every move of BJP just for the heck of it. "The pain of losing power within 14 months instead of 60 months (five years) is evident among Congress and the JD(S)leaders. Hence, G T Devegowda expressed his views. What's the big deal in it? Isn't it his right to express views?" he said.
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HD Deve Gowda also underlined the coalition pangs Kumaraswamy had to suffer as chief minister.
"My son had wept in front of the JP Bhavan for the pain he suffered ever since he became chief minister. I know everything."
The 87-year-old JD(S) leader insisted that he was least bothered about the fall of the government headed by his son Kumaraswamy as he had dedicated workers to bank on.
He said he would also strive to save the party.
(With inputs from ANI and IANS)