Signs of old allies getting closer

Even as the former Chief Minister and Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) president B.S. Yeddyurappa remains undecided on his choice of allies, he is almost certain that his party will not field candidates in the Lok Sabha byelections considering his party is a non-entity in Mandya and Bangalore Rural constituencies.

However, there are signs of him getting close to his one-time ally — a party that is strong in both these Lok Sabha constituencies — the Janata Dal (Secular).

With the BJP showing no positive signs of welcoming him back into its fold, what is evident by indications given by both Mr. Yeddyurappa and JD(S) State unit president H.D. Kumaraswamy during the ongoing budget session is the possibility of the two getting closer.

Speaking to

The Hindu , Mr. Yeddyurappa chose to play it safe and said a clear picture might emerge after the legislature session, when asked about his plans to hold talks with the JD(S) leader to forge a common “front”.

Overtures

Mr. Kumaraswamy is taking a soft stand and praising “pro-people” programmes launched by Mr. Yeddyurappa, on the floor of the House, even as the KJP leader called on the former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, describing it a “courtesy call”.

Though Mr. Yeddyurappa visited Delhi recently, he insisted that his plan was only to visit the Vaishno Devi shrine, but he could not make it because of bad weather. He also clarified that he did not meet any political leader in Delhi. KJP leader M.D. Lakshminarayana said Mr. Yeddyurappa had convened a meeting of party leaders in the first week of August. “A one-line resolution has been passed in the previous meeting authorising Mr. Yeddyurappa to take any decision that he deems fit,” he said.