The Congress has announced to support the Janata Dal (Secular) to form the next government in Karnataka.
Addressing media persons here, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "We had a telephonic conversation with Deve Gowda ji and Kumaraswamy. They have accepted our offer of support. The JD (S) will head the government. Hopefully, we will be together."
He also said as per the trends and results, the BJP will fall short of the majority and the Congress, JD(S) and others jointly will have the magic number. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and other Karnataka Congress leaders were also present.
"Both Congress and JD (S) leadership will meet the Governor in the evening to stake claim to form the government and we will give letters of support," Azad said.
This new political development has emerged after the numbers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) started to drop from 115, which was a majority number.
But at the time of fling this report, the BJP was leading on 104 seats, Congress on 76, JD (S) on 39, Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party on one seat, and Independent on one seat.
Karnataka Assembly has 224 seats and a party or an alliance needs 113 seats to form the government.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)