On Wednesday, former Prime Minister and leader of Janata Dal (Secular) HD Deve Gowda disclosed that the decision to form an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections was made following extensive consultations with members of his party.
Deve Gowda emphasized the inclusive approach taken within his party, stating, “Before allying with the BJP, I took the views of our 19 MLAs and 8 MLCs who expressed their support for JD(S) considering an understanding with the BJP.”
Speaking at a press conference, the JD(S) chief clarified that he had not previously met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and revealed that his recent interaction with Home Minister Amit Shah marked their first meeting in a decade. Deve Gowda asserted that his party was not driven by a quest for power, adding, “We are not power-hungry politicians… I held a discussion with Home Minister Amit Shah for the first time in the last 10 years… I have not met PM Modi… I also explained the political situation in Karnataka to HM…”
Deve Gowda further revealed that JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy would join a sit-in protest alongside former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa regarding the Cauvery water-sharing issue, near the Gandhi statue in Bengaluru.
On September 22, the JD(S) forged an alliance with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. The announcement was made by HD Kumaraswamy following meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda in the national capital.
However, this alliance did not come without its share of dissent. Subsequent to the announcement, JD(S) state vice president Syed Shafiulla Saheb, along with other leaders such as M Srikanth and UT Ayesha Farzana, resigned from the party. Reports also indicated discontent among certain Muslim functionaries within the party.
Kumaraswamy addressed this issue, stating, “We will not disrespect any Muslim leader from the JDS-BJP alliance. We have discussed the BJP-JDS alliance with JDS state president CM Ibrahim.” He also hinted at further discussions on seat-sharing after the Dussehra festival.
Following his resignation from the JD(S), Syed Shafiulla Saheb criticized the BJP for “maintaining silence over the situation in Manipur,” which had witnessed violence after clashes earlier in May. Saheb underscored the ideological differences between the JD(S) and BJP, stating, “I have resigned from the JDS party following its decision to form an alliance with the BJP. The ideology of the JD(S) and BJP, which is based on Hindutva, are different.”
Also Read: Cauvery Row: BJP Leaders Hold Protest Against Karnataka Govt
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