'We are reaching out to nobody': Congress denies talks with JDS in Karnataka

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge exuded confidence that his party would win a “thumping majority” and would decide its moves based on the numbers on Saturday.

“The numbers will tell us what to do,” Kharge told NDTV responding to the question over the possibility of an “Operation Lotus” – the term used by the opposition to describe what they allege is the BJP strategy of gaining power by inducing MLAs to switch sides.

“We will take a call after the results,” Kharge said.

The Congress chief denied that he is in talks with the JDS after a leader claimed the party had decided whom to tie up with. “Nobody. We are reaching out to nobody,” Kharge asserted.

Meanwhile, state JDS President CM Ibrahim too denied that his party has finalised its decision about the post-poll alliance in the event of a hung verdict.

He made this clarification responding to a query on JDS spokesperson Tanveer Ahmed's statement that the party has already taken a decision on a post-poll alliance with one of the national parties to form a coalition government.

"No, no he (Tanveer) is not our spokesperson. I am the party president. I have already clarified that there is no post-poll alliance with any party," he told reporters here.

A decision in this regard will be taken after the results are out, Ibrahim said. "No, we will wait for the results, and we will take the decision," he said.

The counting of the votes of Karnataka assembly polls, which witnessed a fierce fight between archrivals BJP and the Congress, besides the JDS, will be taken up on Saturday as the parties are waiting with bated breath to know their fate over the possibility of a hung assembly as predicted by a majority of the exit polls.