If one pre-election survey is anything to go by, he may be playing ‘kingmaker’ rather than being the chief minister himself.

While the Janata Dal (Secular) state president has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state, he is confident about "winning 60-70 seats even without any efforts". Interestingly, the party's campaign focusses clearly on Kumaraswamy's chief ministerhood but not the party's reign in the state.

So, do we smell the possibility of a coalition between JD(S) and either of Congress or the BJP? While Kumaraswamy has been vociferously vocal about his criticism of both the national parties, JD(S) supremo, H D Devegowda, is toeing a different line, and even complimented the present chief minister of late.

Does that say something about a possible post-poll alliance to keep a common enemy out of power?



That is possible only if the state has a hung assembly like it did in 2004.

The BJP and its allied had won 84 seats. The Congress, only 65 of the 224 it contested. This is when the “kingmaker” Kumaraswamy dominated the state’s political field, first joining hands with the Indian National Congress and forming a coalition government, and then withdrawing support and going on to form an alliance with the BJP.



But that too was not to last long. It collapsed owing to disagreements over sharing of power, ultimately leading to President’s rule in the state, following which fresh elections were conducted in 2008. This saw the BJP single-handedly come to power in the state.