Amid increasing speculation over a possible Janata Dal (Secular) and Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in Karnataka ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, the regional party is believed to be looking at the outcome of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties meeting in Delhi on July 18 to make its move that is likely to settle the issue of appointment of the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly also.
While the BJP in an unprecedented move has not yet appointed it’s Leader of Opposition in both the Houses of State legislature despite completion of two weeks of the Budget session, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday indicated that the BJP could decide on the posts after the July 18 meeting.
He also told presspersons in Hubballi that the future political developments in the State were dependent on the success of talks between the leaders of both parties. “The decision on alliance will be taken by the party high command. Our leaders have held talks with former Prime Minister and JD (S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda. Already (former Chief Minister) H.D. Kumaraswamy has expressed his thoughts on the issue. Future developments will be dependent on the success of the talks,” he said.
BJP MLC N. Ravi Kumar told presspersons in Bengaluru that he had information that Mr. Kumaraswamy and Mr. Gowda would go to Delhi (to attend the meeting), and a decision on this would be taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda. “A decision will be taken keeping in mind the good of the country. We will support it,” he said.
The delay in appointment of the Leader of Opposition by the BJP has been ridiculed by the Congress leaders over the last fortnight, and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday taunted the BJP for waiting to appoint the Opposition leader. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Sunday questioned the ideology of the JD(S) for going for an alliance with BJP, and said that its secular tag is fake. “Instead, JD(S) should merge with BJP and claim the Leader of Opposition post officially. Congress has always been calling JD(S) the B-team of BJP,” he tweeted.
Though the BJP leaders have spoken about the possibility of the alliance, the JD(S) has so far been careful in its approach. JD (S) sources said that the party has not been invited to the NDA meeting, but is looking for the meeting’s outcome. Incidentally, the JD (S) has not been invited by the Congress-led Opposition parties meeting being held at Bengaluru on July 18 too.
A senior JD (S) leader said though a section of the party has been strongly advocating to have an alliance with the BJP, no decision has been taken yet. “The speculation on Opposition leader is in BJP. We have not been approached with any offer,” the leader claimed, adding that the party will discuss any such moves or the offer.
Another source in the party said that the push for JD(S) to move towards BJP came strongly after it felt that Muslims had abandoned the party completely in favour of Congress despite strong appeal to the community to vote in the recently concluded Assembly elections in Karnataka. “The party lost many seats due to the consolidation of minority votes. Mr. Kumaraswamy had met community leaders before elections and had been assured of support. The party is deeply disappointed with the election results.”
A top source in the party, however, indicated that the party is most likely to go with BJP for the Lok Sabha elections.
