Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Wednesday said he had discussed with all his party colleagues regarding the decision of an alliance with the BJP-led NDA for the Lok Sabha elections that are scheduled later this year, who unanimously agreed to the pact.
Speaking at a press conference, he said that he had never met PM Narendra Modi and met Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the first time in the last 10 years.
“We are not power hungry politicians. I have not met PM Modi. Yes, I did discuss with the Home Minister (Amit Shah) for the first time in the last 10 years. I explained him the Karnataka political situation,” the JDS chief said.
“Even before taking the decision, I discussed with all the 19 MLAs and 8 MLCs and took their opinions. All of them said ‘you should think of having an understanding with the BJP’,” he added.
Last Friday, the JDS forged an alliance with the BJP-led NDA for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls to fight the Congress in Karnataka. The two parties are expected to announce the seat-sharing formula after Dusshera festival next month.
The alliance was formalised after JDS leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy met Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda at the Union Home Minister’s residence in Delhi. The meeting lasted for 45 minutes.
“I am happy that JD(S) has decided to be the part of National Democratic Alliance. We wholeheartedly welcome them in the NDA. This will further strengthen NDA and vision of Hon PM Narendra Modi Ji for ‘New India, Strong India’,” Nadda posted on X after the meeting.
The JDS enjoys a considerable influence in the southern parts of the state where the BJP has been traditionally weak.
After the alliance announcement, Kumaraswamy told reporters that the alliance was formed to take on the Congress, which he alleged was indulging in corruption in the state.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 2 seats, while an independent (Sumalatha Ambareesh from Mandya) backed by it won one seat. The Congress and the JD(S) managed to get just one seat each. The Congress had contested the polls in alliance with the JDS, and at that time both parties were running a coalition government under Chief Minister Kumaraswamy.
However, in the Karnataka Assembly election for 224 seats that were held in May, the Congress had bagged 135 seats, BJP 66 seats and the JDS won 19 seats.
