The rumblings in the Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP alliance over the Kolar seat and ignoring JD(S) leaders in BJP electoral campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came to the fore on Monday as JD(S) leaders expressed dismay over the party and its leaders being “sidelined” despite being part of the NDA.
Under pressure from JD(S) leaders, party State president and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy announced that the party candidates will contest from Hassan, Mandya, and Kolar Lok Sabha constituencies.
While leaders complained over the JD(S) not being taken into confidence before the BJP declared candidates for 20 Lok Sabha seats, party leaders at the emergency core committee meeting held here took exception to the BJP not inviting former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Mr. Kumaraswamy or any of the party leaders to the electoral campaign launched by the Prime Minister from Kalaburagi. While the JD(S) has been claiming that it would contest from Hassan, Mandya, and Kolar as part of the seat-sharing arrangement for the past month, recent moves from the BJP to field its candidate has riled the JD(S).
Mr. Deve Gowda, election observers appointed for Lok Sabha constituencies, and district-level leaders took part in the meeting.
Though he claimed that there is no confusion in the alliance, a visibly upset Mr. Kumaraswamy told presspersons after the meeting: “Should I make this kind of effort to get two seats in the alliance? We did not ask for six or seven seats. We asked for three or four seats. The BJP also knows our strength. Even today if we contest independently in Hassan and Mandya constituencies, we will win in a triangular fight.” He said that Karnataka politics was different from elsewhere in the country, and expressed unhappiness over the delay over Kolar seat.
‘Treat with respect’
On the discussions in the meeting, Mr. Kumaraswamy said: “Our leaders felt that at the ground level, party leaders should be treated with respect and if they are ignored, there could be consequences. Though we may not benefit much, the BJP will benefit from us in 18 Lok Sabha seats and a 4% to 5% swing in votes will help the BJP.“
Sources said that leaders at the meeting questioned Mr. Kumaraswamy over the drastic reduction of seats for the party in the alliance. While Mr. Deve Gowda asked Mr. Kumaraswamy to speak to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda, he offered to meet the Central BJP leaders to sort out the issue.
