Bengaluru : JD(S) party Supremo and former PM Deve Gowda said, The JD(S) will fight the coming Lok Sabha elections alone. His clarification comes in the wake of speculations about the JD(S) joining the BJP –led NDA. Speaking to reports, Gowda said that his party will not have ties with any other party,” Whether we win five, six, three or two seats, we have decided to go it alone and keep the existence of the party afloat. We will decide on the future course of action based on the prevailing situation”, he said.
While ruling out electoral ties with the BJP in Karnataka for next year’s parliamentary polls, the JD(S) patriarch hinted that in the long run possibility of a tie-up with NDA or INDIA could not be ruled out. What fuelled speculation of JDS and BJP alliance were Gowda’s son and former CM HD Kumaraswamy being spotted hobnobbing With BJP during the recent monsoon session. Gowda also said that his party will field candidates only in constituencies where it has a strong presence.
Deve Gowda revealed that he was not invited for the opposition parties meet held in Bengaluru earlier this as a section of the congress in Karnataka was opposed to such a move, even though Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was keen he attend.
BJP functionaries feel an alliance with JD(S) will not be beneficial to them as Kumaraswamy’s party does not have much of presence outside the Old Mysuru region, where 18 seats are up for grabs. Sources from BJP said, this is primary factor for the JD(S) not being invited to the meeting of prospective NDA partners convened by PM Modi in Delhi last week.
Kumaraswamy said few days back that his party would work together with BJP against the Congress government in Karnataka on various issues, fuelling speculation of the two party’s joining hand for next year’s polls. Both JDS AND THE bjp MLA’S boycotted the assembly session after 10 BJP legislators were suspended from the House for ‘Indecent and disrespectful conduct’ in the House. The JD(S) and Congress fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections together and secured one seat each, while the BJP won 25 out of 28 seats.Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said even if JD(S) and BJP join hands, the Congress is ure to win 15-20 seats in the state.
