Addressing an election rally in Karnataka's Tumakuru, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Janata Dal (Secular) is working towards saving the Congress party in the upcoming assembly elections.

He went on to add that only the BJP could form the next government in Karnataka, "Poll surveys, political pundits...everyone is saying the JD(S) cannot defeat Congress. They cannot form government. If anyone can change the government in Karnataka, it is the BJP," he said.
PM Modi, who just some days ago had lavished praise on JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, today trained his guns on him, saying "If anyone is protecting the Congress, it is the JD(S)... Congress and JD(S) have a secret understanding...an understanding behind the curtains."He added that the the Congress, must make it clear if it had a secret understanding with JD(S) or not. "Why are you hiding this? Congress should have the courage to speak out the truth to people," he remarked.