The Hindu : Karnataka News : JD(U)-BJP talks today

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Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

JD(U)-BJP talks today

Special Correspondent

Meeting on poll pact in New Delhi

Bangalore: Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav, along with the senior leaders of the State unit of the party, will hold final talks in Delhi on Wednesday with the Bharatiya Janata Party on striking a “respectable” electoral alliance, according to the sources in the JD(U).

The party is said to be under pressure from its workers and supporters to contest a minimum of 25 constituencies. A large section of people in the north Karnataka region are ready to support the party if it severs its alliance with the BJP.

“The party will go it alone if the BJP fails to hold talks and provide a respectable number of seats to the party,” sources said. State party secretary G.K.C. Reddy, M.P. Nadaugouda, MLC, and others will participate in the meeting.

It is not known whether State party president B. Somashekar will participate in the meeting, as he underwent a minor surgery on Tuesday.

Confirming that Wednesday’s talks would be the final attempt to strike an electoral alliance between the two parties, Dr. Nadagouda said here on Tuesday that the party was not ready to surrender its self-respect for political reasons.

The BJP should take a cue from the ruling Communist Party of India ( Marxist) in West Bengal about how a major party should conduct itself while fighting elections in alliance with small parties, he said. State BJP leaders were now expressing their willingness to forge an electoral alliance with the JD(U).

If their willingness was confined to six or eight seats, it was not acceptable to the party. “Our party workers are in favour of fielding around 100 candidates irrespective of the results,” Dr. Nadagouda said.

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