The Janata Dal (Secular) had offered to support a Congress-led government in Karnataka but the Congress insisted on making HD Kumaraswamy the chief minister after the Assembly elections resulted in a hung House, party chief HD Deve Gowda said on Monday.

“There was a discussion between me, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot,” Gowda said, according to PTI. “I told them, you form [the government], I have no problem. They insisted that Kumaraswamy become the chief minister and that it was their high command’s decision.”

He claimed: “Congress is a major party, we are a minor partner. We did not ask for power, they themselves came. I said make someone from Congress the chief minister, I will support it. There is no hiding this. I am not after power.”

Kumaraswamy had on Sunday said his government was at the mercy of the Congress and that he could not do anything without their permission. “If I have to do my job as the chief minister, I have to take permission from the Congress,” he said.

On Monday, he clarified that he did not mean to disrespect to voters but wanted to say that his remaining chief minister depended on the Congress.

“I never said it won’t be possible to waive farm loans in a coalition government,” he claimed. “What I had said was that in a coalition government, whatever decisions have to be taken would be in consultation and with permission from coalition partner Congress.”

Kumaraswamy had said he would step down if his government fails to waive farm loans.

He has said he will announce his government’s plans for farm loan waivers in Bengaluru on Wednesday, The Hindu reported.