K’taka BJP-JD(S) likely to fight LS elections unitedly

Bengaluru: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) are holding a final round of talks in connection with putting up a united fight in the upcoming Lok Sabha election against the Congress in Karnataka, said sources on Friday.

Sources confirmed that former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national President J.P. Nadda and held talks in a confidential meeting.

Sources explain that JD(S) is demanding five parliamentary seats out of 28 and BJP is negotiating for four seats. The JD(S) insisted on Hassan, Mandya, Kolar, Tumakuru, and Bengaluru Rural seats. Hassan was represented by Deve Gowda’s grandson Prajwal Revanna. The Karnataka High Court had recently disqualified him in the backdrop of concealing information regarding property from the Election Commission of India.

Mandya is the strong base of JD(S), but BJP is supporting sitting MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, who won as an independent candidate. She had extended her support to the BJP in key matters. BJP is likely to keep the Mandya seat and make Sumalatha Ambareesh contest on BJP ticket, sources said.

Bengaluru Rural is represented by D.K. Suresh, brother of Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, who is making an all-out effort to emerge as the face of the Vokkaliga community. Presently, the influential community concentrated in south Karnataka is rallying behind Deve Gowda and JD(S). Shivakumar managed to break the hold of JD(S) on the Vokkaliga vote bank in the last Assembly elections.

Sources said that both BJP and JD(S) have realized the strong position of the Congress government in the state. If they contest elections independently, Congress may easily win most of the seats. Moreover, both parties are worried and concerned over the aggressive moves of Congress under “Operation Hast”.

Deve Gowda is concerned with the health of his son former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy, who was recently admitted to the hospital. Kumaraswamy had undergone a major heart surgery.

Sources further said that JD(S) is likely to give up the Mandya seat to BJP, even if it is a setback.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is updated about the move by the party and he has also given a green signal for an alliance, said sources.

The Congress party is striving to wrestle 20 seats in Parliamentary elections out of 28 riding high on the victory in the Assembly elections and implementation of guarantee schemes.

With inputs from IANS