Lok Sabha Polls 2024: JD(S) To Join Hands With BJP In Karnataka

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will have an understanding for the Lok Sabha elections slated for 2024, with the JD(S) led by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said on Friday.

As such, the JD(S) will contest in four Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, which has a total of 28 constituencies, said Yediyurappa. “I’m happy about that. Deve Gowda ji has met our Prime Minister and already they have finalised four seats. I welcome that.... I feel happy, BJP and JD(S) will have an understanding. Amit Shah (Union Home Minister) has agreed to give four Lok Sabha seats (to JD(S)),” the four-time chief minister said.

"will help us win 25 or 26 Lok Sabha seats together"

“This has given us great strength and will help us win 25 or 26 Lok Sabha seats together,” he said. The BJP swept the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka by winning 25 seats, while an independent (Sumalatha Ambareesh from Mandya) backed by it won in one seat. The Congress and the JD(S) won one seat each.

In the Assembly elections in May this year, the Congress bagged 135 seats, while the BJP got 66 and the JD(S) 19. Later, there were reports that the JD(S) would enter into an alliance with the BJP to fight the Lok Sabha polls and that the JD(S) leader had met the BJP central leadership in Delhi in this regard. However, Deve Gowda had indicated that the party will contest Lok Sabha polls alone.

The talks on the understanding for the elections have taken place between the BJP central leadership and top JD(S) leaders, and state leaders do not have much clarity on this, said BJP sources. The BJP may cede Hassan and Bengaluru Rural seats, where it doesn't have sitting MPs, to JD(S), they said. “Discussions have begun. Now we have 25 plus one 26. We will make all the preparations required to win all the 28 seats,” state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel said.

Party workers meeting on September 10

“We have jointly fought against this evil (Congress) government both inside and outside the legislature on several issues. To save Karnataka, it is necessary for opposition parties to unite. Everything will come out in the days to come,” said former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai. However, JD(S) state president CM Ibrahim said, “So far no discussions have taken place regarding this on the party forum. On September 10, we have called a party workers meeting. We will gather opinions there. There is a core committee headed by senior party MLA GT Deve Gowda. We will take a decision on the basis of the report they submit after touring the state.”

The Congress, on its part, said it was not bothered by the development, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah saying the people will back the party. “Whether there is an alliance or whether they will fight separately, I am not bothered,” he said. “People are with us. They will vote for us,” he said. “Let them have an understanding. Earlier too they had done it when Ashokanna (BJP leader R Ashoka) and Kumaranna (Kumaraswamy) had come together in the previous (BJP-JDS coalition) government. My question is how their (JDS) ideology works? Deve Gowda had in earlier situations had ruled out alliance with BJP,” Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said.