It's no secret now; BJP, JD(S) in pact for LS polls

NT Bureau, Agencies

Bengaluru: The Opposition BJP will have an understanding with former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S) for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Friday, an announcement that shot up political temperature in Karnataka.

The veteran leader, who is also the BJP parliamentary board member, said that as part of the poll understanding, the JD(S) will contest in four Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, which has a total of 28 constituencies.

"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 in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "this has given us great strength, and this will help us in winning 25 or 26 Lok Sabha seats together."

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 JD(S) won one seat each. In the elections to the 224-member Assembly held in May this year, the Congress bagged 135 seats, while the BJP secured 66 and the JD(S) 19.

Following the Assembly poll results, there were reports that JD(S) would enter into an alliance with the BJP to fight the Lok Sabha polls. It was also said that the JD(S) leader had met BJP central leadership in Delhi in this regard.

However, subsequently JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda, had indicated that the party will contest Lok Sabha polls alone. JD(S) had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the Congress, as both parties were then running an alliance government under the Chief Ministership of Gowda's son H D Kumaraswamy.

While Gowda had then lost the polls in Tumakuru, his grandson Prajwal Revanna, was the only winning JD(S) candidate, who had emerged victorious in the party's home turf of Hassan.

According to BJP sources, the talks on understanding have taken place between BJP central leadership and JD(S) top brass.