Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday said the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition government will remain stable at least until the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, PTI reported.

“I know, no one can touch me for one year,” Kumaraswamy told reporters in Bengaluru. “I will be there at least for one year, until the Lok Sabha election is over. Until then, no one can do anything to me.”

Kumaraswamy’s newly-formed government and Cabinet has been marred by dissension. On June 8, the chief minister asked the Congress leadership to urgently resolve the tension among Congress MLAs who are unhappy at being denied Cabinet berths.

The chief minister also hinted at a possible presentation of the state budget by the first week of July. “Probably during July first week, we have plans to present the state budget,” he said. “A few people are asking why budget has to be presented as this is a coalition government and it has already been presented [by the previous Congress government].”

On Thursday, a coordination committee comprising members from the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) announced the formation of a panel that will frame a Common Minimum Programme to guide the functioning of the government.

Coalition government

Following the Assembly election in mid-May, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s BS Yeddyurappa was initially sworn in as the chief minister but resigned two days later as his party, despite being the largest, did not have the numbers to prove its majority. The Congress and the JD(S) forged a post-poll alliance to form the government, and JD(S) Karnataka chief HD Kumaraswamy took oath as the chief minister on May 23.