BJP chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa today accused the Congress of trying to subvert the popular mandate and come back to power through the back door by offering support to JDS to form the government.
Yeddyurappa said the people of the state had rejected the Siddaramaiah government "lock, stock and barrel" and given a mandate for change.
"The people had given a mandate for a Congress-mukt Karnataka," the BJP strongman told reporters shortly after the Congress offered support to JDS-led by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda.
Yeddyurappa said there was anti-incumbency against the Siddaramaiah government and the chief minister himself had suffered a "pathetic defeat" in his home constituency of Chamundeshwari.
He said the party "condemns the devious means being adopted by the Congress".
"...the Congress is trying to subvert the popular mandate and come back to power through the back door. People of Karnataka will never accept this," he said.