The former Karnataka chief minister and JD(S) Legislature Party leader said talks with the BJP were in preliminary stages and no decision had been made over seat-sharing yet.
JD(S) Legislature Party leader and former CM HD Kumaraswamy asserted that the alliance with the BJP for Lok Sabha elections is still in primary stage. (supplied)
JD(S) Legislature Party leader and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy asserted in Bengaluru on Sunday, 10 September, that defeating the Congress in Karnataka in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls 2024 was his primary aim, adding that JD(S)-BJP alliance talks were in preliminary stages.
BJP parliamentary board member BS Yediyurappa — also a former Karnataka chief minister — recently confirmed that the saffron party was forming an alliance with the JD(S) in Karnataka, and the party high command agreed on 8 September to leave four seats for the regional party to contest in Lok Sabha elections.
Responding to the statements of Lingayat strongman Yediyurappa, Kumaraswamy said that the alliance talks between the two parties were still in the primary stages, and a decision on seat-sharing was yet to be taken.
Meanwhile, the JD(S) held the party leaders’ and workers’ meeting at the Palace Grounds in Bengaluru on Sunday to chalk out plans for the forthcoming parliamentary and local body elections.
The JD(S) fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in only seven segments. It managed to win only one seat: Hassan. The regional party fought the general elections in an alliance with the Congress. Even former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda was defeated in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Asserting that the party was still in talks with the BJP, Kumaraswamy said: “I want to clarify that discussions about our party — the JD(S) — and the BJP contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together are still in their initial stages.”
He added: “There have been no talks about seat-sharing between our parties at this point. We will take a decision that is in the best interest of the state.”
He also said: “I appreciate Yediyurappa’s statement about the alliance, but we need to consider various factors before reaching a final decision.”
When asked about seat-sharing, HD Kumaraswamy said, “We will resolve those issues smoothly. These are preliminary issues. How many seats we will contest is not the question here. Our intention, our aim is to defeat Congress in this election. Everyone is seeing how they have been running the government in Karnataka over the last two months.
Regarding reports of his father and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda meeting with the BJP high command, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he said: “I would say, ‘Wait and watch’ for further developments.”
On the Congress leaders who claimed that a JD(S)-BJP alliance would not bother the party, he said: “I believe that they are feeling the pressure. The political landscape has changed since the Assembly elections, and the Congress is currently facing anti-incumbency.”
Kumaraswamy also said of the Congress and its leaders: “They were once confident about their power and even talked about eliminating the JD(S). But the situation is different now, and they are resorting to poaching our leaders.”
Taking a swipe at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy alleged that the Congress leader had plans to join the BJP and also met various leaders of the saffron party.
Asked whether the JD(S)’s ideology would or would not impact the alliance with the BJP, Kumaraswamy said: “What ideology? What did Congress MLC BK Hariprasad talk about in his speech yesterday? Whom did he speak about?”
He added: “Who met BJP veteran LK Advani to join the saffron cadre? Now, he has been made the chief minister. There are a lot of differences between people and ideologies. Ideology is only one part, and people’s lives are different.”
Kumaraswamy also said: “The talks over alliance are still in the primary stage. All the 19 MLAs are united, and we are considering everyone’s opinion. There are minor differences within the party, and we will sort them out at the earliest.”
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