Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday ruled out the possibility of the party supporting the Janata Dal (United) for forming an alternative government in Karnataka as it found 'no way other than going for fresh elections.'
Talking to newspersons in Chennai, he said the coalition had failed in Karnataka and against the backdrop of an open fight between the JD (U) and the Congress, there was no option left except to go to the people.
Refusing to attach any significance to JD (U) leader Deve Gowda calling on BJP leader and former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, Venkaiah said it was only a courtesy call.
"There was no question of the BJP supporting the JD (U), which was a constituent of the coalition government led by Dharam Singh," he said, adding, ''The BJP is the number one party in Karnataka with 79 MLAs. How can we think of directly or indirectly supporting anyone?"
Flaying the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre for its decision to cut food subsidy to the tune of Rs 4,500 crore and reduce interest rate on Employees Provident Fund to 8.5 per cent, the BJP leader said the party would stage a nationwide protest against the 'anti-poor and anti-working class' decisions.