Bengaluru: Chief minister of Karnataka HD Kumaraswamy has thrown his weight behind chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee.

The support comes in the wake of the recent brouhaha during BJP president Amit Shah’s roadshow.

Kumaraswamy said, “From day 1, we have been with Mamataji only. Whatever fight Mamataji has with the BJP in West Bengal we are with didi only. There is no question of changing our stand. Totally, we are going to stand by Mamataji. Everybody knows how illegally the present central government under the leadership of Narendra Modi is acting. The Election Commission behaves like a puppet of Narendra Modi. Let us see.”

The chief minister may have sent a strong message to the BJP, but the saffron party was quick to dismiss it saying, Kumaraswamy doesn’t understand the politics of West Bengal.

Sreenath Sheshadri, a BJP spokesperson said, “He (Kumaraswamy) doesn’t understand the ground realities of West Bengal. Maybe he didn’t have the time to understand the nitty-gritty of the state. It is a very superficial statement. He should be more responsible while talking about a sensitive issue.”

Regarding the allegations of the Election Commission acting like a puppet in the hands of the BJP, he said, “Election Commission has completed six phases of elections. They found it very hard to handle West Bengal. Finally, they have taken a stern decision. We have to abide by it. It is an apolitical body.”

During the Amit Shan roadshow, a ruckus ensued, leading to the desecration of the statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a prominent Bengali philosopher. Allegations flew thick and fast, with either side pointing fingers at opponents.

Mamata Banerjee has always expressed her support to the JD(S) and was in Bengaluru last year to attend the swearing-in of Kumaraswamy, along with other leaders opposed to the BJP.