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No official confirmation yet: BJP-JD(S) to join hands for 2024 Lok Sabha elections, says BSY
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the JD(S) fought seven seats but won just one — the Gowda family pocket borough of Hassan
The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) have decided to fight the 2024 general elections together in Karnataka, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa said on Friday, but there was no firm confirmation of an electoral pact from the regional party.
Yediyurappa — the tallest leader in the state BJP unit — said both parties came to an agreement with the JD(S) getting four of the state’s 28 Lok Sabha seats to contest and the BJP fighting the rest.
“HD Deve Gowda met PM Modi and Amit Shah in Delhi and after that, they have agreed to four seats. The alliance will help us win all 27 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. We will abide by the decision taken in Delhi,” BS Yediyurappa said, refusing to disclose when this meeting took place.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the JD(S) fought seven seats but won just one — the Gowda family pocket borough of Hassan. The BJP won 25 of the 28 seats, while the Congress won one.
The JD(S) has aligned with the BJP in the past. In 2006, following the assembly elections in Karnataka, no political party won a clear majority. The JD(S) then agreed to team up with the BJP to form the government. As part of a power-sharing agreement, JD(S) leader Kumaraswamy was supposed to leave the post of chief minister on 3 October 2007. However, when the time came, he refused. This forced Yeddyurappa and all the ministers to withdraw support from the Kumaraswamy government. In 2018, the party joined hands with the Congress to form the government, which finally collapsed the next year.
But the regional party -- which performed poorly in assembly elections earlier this year -- sent mixed signals. JD(S) core committee chief GT Devegowda said party workers and leaders had urged Deve Gowda to pursue an alliance with the BJP but refused to confirm if an agreement was reached.
JD(S) state chief CM Ibrahim said he was not aware of any decision being made or any formal alliance discussions. “As a state president, I can tell you that we haven’t discussed anything related to it in the party forum,” he said. GT Devegowda said the party was upset with the ruling Congress.
“Everyone in our party agrees that we are unable to tolerate the oppression by Congress. Party workers and leaders are up in arms. There’s pressure on us. All of them have said we should have an alliance...that we must fight with the BJP and we must defeat Congress,” he said.
However, he emphasised that any decision on an alliance will require a consensus. “Mere seat-sharing won’t do...There must be clear deliverables for us,” he said.
The party is facing an existential crisis with a shrinking of support in its stronghold of old Mysuru region, and the disqualification of Prajwal Revanna by the Karnataka high court on September 1 over election irregularities.
Yediyurappa said there was no contradiction between the two parties coming together after bitterly fought assembly elections. “Such situations keep coming. Differences and adjustments keep happening in politics. We will have to abide by the decision taken by the high command. I personally welcome the alliance,” said Yediyurappa.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah played down the comments, saying the Congress will focus on seeking votes from the people. “We are not bothered who will enter into an alliance and who will fight on their own. We will seek votes from the people. People are in our favour, and they will vote for us,” he said.
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar welcomed the BJP-JD(S) alliance.. “But after the alliance, how will the JD(S) retain its ideology? We don’t know if the party will survive or not. I’m not against their alliance. All the best to them,” he said.
Political analyst A Narayana said that if the new alliance materialises, the JD(S) might manage to remain politically relevant for a few more years. “For the JD(S), this alliance is all about survival in the short term as the party is facing an existential crisis after the assembly polls. But in the long run, this will help the BJP create a stronghold in Old Mysuru Region,” he said.
