Two days after saying that the BJP will have an understanding with the Janata Dal (Secular) for the Lok Sabha polls, veteran BJP leader and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday said discussions in this regard have not reached finality yet.
Yediyurappa added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah may discuss and decide on the matter in a couple of days.
“As Modiji is busy with other issues, most probably there may be discussion after a couple of days. Till now no discussions have taken place. We will have to wait and see,” Yediyurappa said, as quoted by PTI.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said, “When I spoke earlier, things had not come to any finality. Even now there is no finality. Prime Minister, Amit Shah and other leaders will discuss and decide, until then we will have to wait. I feel as Modiji and others are busy today and tomorrow, discussions may happen in two to three days.”
On Friday, the BJP veteran said that the saffron party will have an understanding with the JD(S) for the Lok Sabha elections that is scheduled next year. He added that as part of the poll understanding the JD(S) will contest in four Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, which has a total of 28 constituencies.
“The BJP and JD(S) will form an alliance. (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah has agreed to give four Lok Sabha seats (to JDS). This will strengthen us in a big way. It will facilitate wins in 25 to 26 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka,” Yediyurappa had said, amid speculation that former PM Deve Gowda held meetings with Shah and BJP president J P Nadda during a visit to Delhi on September 4, after speaking on the phone with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with whom he enjoys a cordial relationship, reports The Indian Express.
Following his statements, JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday said discussions regarding the BJP and the JDS fighting the polls together are in the initial phase, adding that decision on seat sharing will be taken after internal discussions.
The former CM and son of JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, speaking to news agency ANI, said, “Yediyurappa’s reaction is his personal reaction. Until now, there has been no discussion on seat sharing or anything. We have met cordially 2-3 times. Later on, let us see what is going to happen.”
“Former chief minister Yediyurappa has spoken about an alliance. I am indebted to him. He has spoken of an alliance to fight against the Congress government in Karnataka. Those who are looting the state must be controlled. In 2006 also I had joined hands with the BJP to form a government,” Kumaraswamy said, adding that there is more time for the alliance.