Bengaluru: The JD(S) is yet to take a call on contesting in the upcoming by-elections to Nanjangud and Gundlupet.

JD(S) state party president H D Kumaraswamy while speaking to mediapersons said that the party was unsure about fielding its candidates for the by-elections given the way Siddaramaiah and Yeddyurappa were engaged in mudslinging. However, he added that a final decision on the same will be taken on Wednesday after discussions with the MLAs.

Further he added in all probability, the general elections may take place in 2018 ahead of schedule. The BJP has set a target of 150+ in Karnataka, he said. He also raised doubts on the survival of the Siddaramaiah government given the working style of BJP and the manipulative techniques that it adopted to come to power in Goa and Manipur.

Referring to the recent Assembly elections in five states, Kumaraswamy said it is not possible for the BJP to replicate the UP outcome in Karnataka. “On what basis would Narendra Modi seek votes for his party in Karnataka? Can he talk about the BJP’s corrupt rule in Karnataka? Also, what is the contribution of Modi to Karnataka in the last three years? He has completely neglected the state,” he said.

The JD(S) leader said the BJP is like a Ashwamedha yaaga horse and only his party can rein in the horse in Karnataka.