JD(S) was in alliance with the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, where the latter contested 21 seats and winning only one each.
Pic for representation only. (supplied)
With the 2024 Lok Sabha polls fast approaching, Karnataka is witnessing significant political developments, especially between the alliance partners BJP and JD(S). The regional party is demanding at least four Parliamentary seats, including Mysuru.
Though JD(S) supremo and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and the party’s state president and former chief minister, HD Kumaraswamy, are yet to officially hold talks with the BJP central leadership over seat-sharing, preliminary discussions have been going on for months.
The duo has reportedly held talks with BJP parliamentary board member and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa in this regard.
The regional party is demanding at least four Parliamentary seats for the general polls. Other than Hassan and Mandya, JD(S) is eyeing the Mysuru, Kolar (SC), Raichur (ST), and Vijayapura (SC) constituencies — all of them currently being represented by the BJP.
However, it is not an easy task for the JD(S) as BJP MPs Pratap Simha and Ramesh Jigajinagi from Mysuru and Vijayapura, respectively, are not willing to give up their seats, sources told South First.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP won a record 25 out of the 28 Parliamentary seats, where the Congress, JD(S), and an independent had won one each. The JD(S) and Congress jointly fought the 2019 Lok Sabha.
Among the South Indian states, Karnataka has the highest number of BJP parliamentarians.
Following its disappointing performance in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Polls, the JD(S) is actively engaged in political engineering, aiming to stage a comeback in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections through an alliance with the BJP.
The JD(S) announced its alliance with the BJP-led NDA on 22 September. The party has already held discussions within the cadre about seat-sharing with its alliance partner.
The regional party is planning to demand only those seats with a consolidated vote base, especially the old Mysuru region, and one constituency each in Kalyana Karnataka and Kittur Karnataka.
JD(S) senior leader and former minister SR Mahesh told South First: “The party leadership is planning to demand four Lok Sabha seats. Hassan, Mandya, Kolar, and either Mysuru or Raichur.”
“We are demanding these seats because the party has a strong base in these constituencies, and there are high chances of emerging victorious. We have held talks with BS Yediyurappa and are yet to meet the BJP high command regarding seat-sharing equations,” said Mahesh, hinting that the talks between the two parties will likely be held in a month.
On rumours about him planning to contest from Mysuru, he said: “I am not ready for the elections. I will concentrate on my business for the next 10 years. Politics has worsened these days when compared to the old days,” he argued.
“We should also look into the financial feasibility as well. The party high command will take the final decision. The party leadership is not keen to contest in Tumakuru and Bengaluru Rural for various political reasons,” detailed the former minister.
Former minister Bandeppa Kashempur seconded this line of thought. He told South First, “We are preparing to contest four Lok Sabha seats. The discussions over seat sharing with the BJP is yet to commence.”
“We are planning to ask for Vijayapura (SC) and Raichur (ST) seats in North Karnataka as the party has a good base there. We will abide by the decisions of Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy,” added Kashempur.
Meanwhile, in an interesting development, JD(S) leaders are urging state president Kumaraswamy to contest from the Mysuru seat amidst political challenges.
While the BJP and the JD(S) are yet to hold talks over seat-sharing, the regional party leaders are considering Kumaraswamy to contest from Mysuru.
On condition of anonymity, a senior JD(S) leader told South First: “The discussions regarding the probable candidature for the four Lok Sabha seats are already underway in the party. It is confirmed that MP Prajwal Revanna would contest from Hassan, and Nikhil Kumaraswamy or CS Puttaraju from Mandya.”
“The party is identifying candidates for Kolar and Vijayapura or Raichur seats. The party leadership is serious about the Mysuru seat as well. Considering the opposition to Pratap Simha’s candidature within the BJP, we are eyeing the seat.”
“As the party has a good base in Mysuru, we are appealing to Kumaraswamy to contest. He is not interested in national politics. However, several leaders are trying to convince him, if the BJP agrees to give us the Mysuru seat,” elaborated a close aide of Kumaraswamy.
While the JD(S) is planning to demand at least four seats, BJP leaders in Karnataka said the high command would have the final say on seat-sharing.
Yediyurappa had said on 8 September, that Deve Gowda had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held talks over the alliance.
“The party high command has finalised four seats for the JD(S),” Yediyurappa had said then.
However, after this statement, the BJP and JD(S) leaders, including Kumaraswamy, made it clear that the discussions on seat-sharing were yet to commence.
BJP senior leader and former deputy chief minister Govind Karjol told South First that the party high command would take a final call on seat-sharing.
“The discussions between the two parties have not yet commenced in this regard. It is likely to occur only after the culmination of post-poll result activities of the five state Assembly polls,” he added.
According to sources, the BJP high command has asked the JD(S) to settle for three seats.
In return, the regional party has been assured of 10 additional seats in the 2028 Assembly polls.
Meanwhile, MPs Ramesh Jigajinagi and Pratap Simha, who are representing the Vijayapura and Mysuru seats for three and two consecutive terms, respectively, are reluctant to give up their seats for the JD(S).
Even the Kolar and Raichur MPs have expressed dissent over giving away their seats to JD(S) in the general elections, claimed sources in the BJP.
As Lingayat leader and BJP’s former minister V Somanna is eyeing a party ticket to contest from the Tumakuru Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming elections, the JD(S) has decided not to contest from the same seat.
After unsuccessfully contesting from the Varuna and Chamarajanagar Assembly seats in the 10 May Karnataka Assembly polls and also failing to get the state president post, Somanna has begun his groundwork for the general elections eyeing a ticket from the Tumakuru Parliament constituency.
On talks over him being active in Tumakuru, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Somanna told South First: “Why should I prepare the ground for the general elections? I have been in politics for the last five decades and have a good rapport with the people here.”
He added: “The final decision on fielding me from Tumakuru rests with the party high command. It is too early to comment on the matter.”
Considering the latest developments in the BJP in the Tumakuru Lok Sabha seat and its bitter experience in the 2019 polls, the JD(S) has dropped its plan of demanding this Parliamentary constituency from the saffron cadre.
On condition of anonymity, a JD(S) leader told South First: “Initially, we had plans to contest from Tumakuru. The party leadership is considering the latest political developments on all fronts including the party’s strength and previous experiences has decided not to fight in Tumakuru.”
“BJP senior leader Somanna has already begun the groundwork in Tumakuru. We don’t want to have a bitter moment within the alliance. We will demand other seats, where the party has a good presence,” added the regional party leader.
It may be noted that in the recently concluded Assembly polls, the JD(S) managed to win a mere 19 of the 224 seats, with only three of its 30 incumbent MLAs among them.
Even its vote share saw a dip of 5.01 percent. The party had managed to gross a voter share of 13.19 percent compared to 18.3 percent in the 2018 Assembly polls.
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