Warning against attempts to split the Janata Dal-Secular, former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday taunted the Congress to form a coalition government with senior JD-S leader M P Prakash as chief minister.
Agitated over backroom political operations by some Congress leaders to lure JD-S MLAs to install a government in the state, Kumaraswamy told that "we are ready to support Congress if that party declares that Prakash would be made chief minister".
Kumaraswamy's remarks assumed significance in the backdrop of former home minister Prakash rushing to Delhi on Friday to continue talks with Congress leaders in a bid to concretise efforts for government formation proposal.
"Let the Congress leaders stop secret meetings in hotels with Prakash. Let them come openly and say Congress is forming the government with the JD-S," Kumaraswamy dared taking a swipe at some Congress leaders who were closeted with Prakash in a private hotel.
Sources said former deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah, a political adversary of the JD-S chief H D Deve Gowda family, had a meeting with Prakash.
Kumaraswamy cautioned Prakash, who has turned a rallying point for JD-S MLAs pushing for formation of a government to avoid snap assembly polls that holding consultations with local leaders would not benefit him, in an apparent dig at his party's leader.
Kumaraswamy had told Prakash that he would support the government formation initiatives by him provided "it succeeds".
Prakash, who refused to call off his government-formation mission even after Gowda shut doors on Congress and asked his party to prepare for elections after the first round of negotiations with Congress leaders early this week.
Prakash told his supporters that he cannot retract from his mission after having traveled so far.
Meanwhile, former chief minister and senior Congress leader N Dharam Singh claimed Prakash has submitted a list of MLAs supporting him and the party was looking into it.
Singh, whose government was toppled by Kumaraswamy last year, said a decision whether to accept the offer of support by JD-S faction headed by Prakash would be decided by AICC president Sonia Gandhi on her return from China tour.
The JD-S and BJP coalition government led by Kumaraswamy collapsed after the saffron party withdrew support following JD-S refusing to honour pact on power transfer to it.
The state is under President's rule with the state assembly kept in suspended animation.
