The Bharatiya Janata Party strategists are adopting a ‘wait and watch’ approach to see if any formal understanding between Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat unfolds.
BJP sources said that though they are confident of winning three Rajya Sabha seats in the ensuing elections, they are following a cautious approach for any last minute understanding between the Congress and JD(S). Any formal understanding between the two Opposition parties will end the BJP’s hopes of winning the third seat, sources said. Keeping its cards closer to its chest, the BJP sources said that though the line up is set they were watching for any developments between Congress and JD(S) before fine tuning its strategy in the polls that is now being seen as a closely fought one.
Meanwhile, as the election date nears, the JD(S) on Monday issued whip to all its legislators to compulsorily participate in the voting process on June 10 and cast their vote for the party’s official candidate. The Congress had also issued a whip to its party legislators on June 2. D. Kupendra Reddy (JD-S) is pitted against Lahar Singh Siroya (BJP) and Mansoor Ali Khan (Congress) for the fourth seat in Rajya Sabha
While the JD(S) is hopeful of a Congress support to its candidate Mr. Reddy, the party leader H.D. Revanna told reporters in Hassan that he was not averse to meeting Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah again seeking Congress’s support. “I have a good relationship with Mr. Siddaramaiah. I will meet him to seek support to our candidate. All of us need to be together to keep communal forces away,” he said.
JD(S) party sources also said that the leadership has spoken to legislators who have expressed unhappiness in the past, and that they are confident of preventing any possible cross voting. Meanwhile, Mr. Siddaramaiah reiterated his confidence that JD(S) legislators will cast conscience vote since the Congress has fielded a Muslim candidate since the JD(S) is seeking to unite secular forces.
