Bangalore: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (May 13, 2004) said it would seek the support of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda to form the next Government in Karnataka, where the electorate has thrown up a fractured mandate.

"That's the only way, what else we have to do," leader of Opposition in the State Legislative Council, D H Shankaramurthy told reporters in Bangalore.

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He said the BJP would open a channel of discussion with JD-S and try to persuade it to support the party to form the Government, but hastened to add that they have not yet discussed the issue.

BJP leaders, including Arun Jaitley who is slated to arrive in Bangalore, would discuss the matter tonight or tomorrow and chalk out a strategy.

Asked if the BJP would support a JD-S Government, Shankaramurthy said a coalition Government works well when party with lesser number of seats supports the one with more number of seats.