BJP and JD(S) look set to forge an alliance ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections alliance, Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai while answering questions from reporters on Sunday indicated that the two parties are in talks for JD(S) to join the NDA. While there is no official confirmation, senior leaders of both the parties have raised this possibility in the recent past. The comments come just weeks after two other former chief ministers – HD Kumaraswamy and BS Yediyurappa – said that the two parties would like to “fight together” in future.
“It is up for discussion between our leadership and JD(S) president HD Deve Gowda,” Bommai was quoted as saying in the reports.
The senior BJP leader also touched on JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy’s previous comments. He told that the discussions will continue in the direction in which the other side has expressed its sentiments.
“The future political course of action will be based on the outcome of those discussions,” he said.
Earlier this month, the JD(S) leader had hinted at a possible alliance and raised the possibility of a ‘Maharashtra-like’ situation in the state without taking names. He also indicated that a decision on the electoral understanding for the Lok Sabha polls would be taken as the situation arises.
“I don’t want to name anyone in particular. Anything can happen. It will not take much time, probably it will happen at the end of this year or after the parliamentary elections. For that we will have to wait,” Kumaraswamy had said.
Meanwhile, BJP leader BS Yediyurappa was more ambiguous, extending support to the JDS chief and hinting that the two would ‘fight together’ in future.
“Whatever HD Kumaraswamy is saying is absolutely true and I want to support his statement. Kumaraswamy and we will fight together in future,” he said.
The BJP won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka by winning 25 of the total 28 seats in the state, while an independent supported by it won one seat. Congress and JD(S) won one seat each.
(with inputs from agencies)
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UPDATE: July 16, 2023, 04:57 PM IST