Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday dismissed reports that claimed a group of the party’s legislators were in favour of providing external support to the new government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

“News about us having ties with the BJP has come to my notice,” Kumaraswamy tweeted in Kannada. “These are baseless and lawmakers and party workers should not heed to any of these rumours. It is far from the truth. We will continue our fight for the people and the fight will go on.”

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Kumaraswamy made the statement a day after party MLA GT Devegowda claimed that some legislators had talked of providing support to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s government.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Devegowda said the party would play a constructive role, PTI reported. “As a regional party we will oppose where we have to oppose,” PTI quoted him as saying. “That’s all. If you [Yediyurappa] do something good for the state, we will welcome it.”

Devegowda downplayed GT Devegowda’s comment, saying his intention was to get the finance bill passed before July 31 “because it was a budget presented by Kumaraswamy”.

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The Janata Dal (Secular), in a statement, said reports of the party joining hands with the BJP were “rubbish and baseless”. “Party workers and leaders should not pay heed to rumours about JDS joining hands with the BJP,” it tweeted. “Let us rebuild the party by reaching out and helping people. We will always work for the people. Joining BJP means working against people!”

Yediyurappa was sworn in as chief minister for the fourth time on Friday. He will, however, have to prove his government’s majority in the Assembly in a floor test on Monday.

The state got a new chief minister after the 14-month-old ruling coalition of Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) lost a trust vote on Tuesday. Ninety-nine MLAs voted in favour of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition, while 105 legislators went against it. The coalition government had come to power in May 2018. The next election is due in 2023.