Bengaluru: Congress leader Veerappa Moily on Tuesday claimed that the party’s alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka was responsible for the party’s loss in the state

In an interview with Times Now, Moily said hat several Congress leader, including himself, had lost the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka due to the party’s coalition with the JD(S). Moily said, “Alliance is not a strategy for building a party.”

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Moily alleged that the JD(S) cadres had not supported the Congress in the elections and that the strategy that the JD(S) votes will get transferred to the Congress’ candidates share also did not work. 

However, Moily, who lost the Lok Sabha polls from Chikkballapur seat to BJP’s BN Bache Gowda, said that it was important for the coalition government to continue in the state in order to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power. 

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The congress leader told Times now, "We have to see that the BJP has to be kept away from Karnataka.... I think we will have to introspect, combine and continue to work together.”

Notably, JD(S) MLA from Tumkur (Rural) Gowri Shankar, on Saturday, blamed the coalition with the Congress for the defeat of JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda from Tumkur Lok Sabha seat. Addressing a party workers’ meet, Shankar had also alleged that the JD(S) cadres “did not want a coalition government” with the Congress.