JD(S)-BJP alliance in K’taka: ‘No formal announcement yet, top leadership to take final call’

Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has confirmed the BJP and the JD(S) will forge an alliance in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, however BJP MLA R. Ashoka on Friday said that the alliance is not formally finalised.

Ashokasaid that the final call is yet to be taken by the party high command.

The BJP and the JD(S) will also contest the Bengaluru civic polls together.

JD(S) MLA from Chamundeshwari seat and party Core Committee President G.T. Deve Gowda, confirming the alliance, said that the pressure to forge the alliance with BJP came from the legislators and party leaders.

G.T. Deve Gowda, who is a close confidante of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda said that JD(S) MLAs and party workers are “suffering due to the dominance of Congress government”.

“We had held a meeting with 19 MLAs, 7 MLCs and former legislators on September 6. It was attended by former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, senior leader C.M. Ibrahim and former minister H.D. Revanna. The matter of alliance did not come up for discussion. However, the former Prime Minister had said that as the National President of the party, he would take certain decisions and he needed cooperation. We had given our consent,” G.T. Deve Gowda added.

The leaders maintained that they did not want to go with the Congress party as the party leaders dethroned Kumaraswamy from the post of the Chief Minister. Former Prime Minister Deve Gowda had assured them that he would take a good decision, he said.

Speaking to reporters here, Yediyurappa said that with the alliance, it would be possible to win more seats.

JD(S) top leader and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda had held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“Amit Shah has agreed to give four MP seats to JD(S) and the BJP will contest in the rest of the seats,” Yediyurappa added.

“I welcome the alliance. This will help us to win more seats. I have confidence that the alliance will emerge victorious in 25 to 26 seats (out of total 28 seats),” he said.

Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai welcomed the move, saying that opposition unity is the need of the hour. The alliance is being forged to save Karnataka.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that it cannot not be said whether the JD(S) will exist in the coming days.

–IANS