The BJP on September 22, acknowledged the alliance with Janata Dal (Secular) and welcomed the regional party from Karnataka, helmed by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold.
The announcement came from BJP President J.P. Nadda on Friday afternoon after he and Union Home Minister Amit Shah met JD(S) leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in New Delhi. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who is learnt to have played an important role in bringing the JD(S) to the NDA fold, was also present at the meeting. Strategies to take on Congress in Karnataka was also discussed, sources said.
Mr. Nadda announced the alliance on social media platform X, but did not specify the number of seats that the JD(S) would contest from.
The meeting that had been rescheduled from Thursday night to Friday afternoon saw Mr. Kumaraswamy accompanied by his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy and former JD(S) Rajya Sabha member Kupendra Reddy. While at the State level, senior BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa, Mr. Gowda and Mr. Kumaraswamy had spoken about the alliance, Mr. Nadda’s announcement on the social media platform was the first acknowledgement from the BJP central leadership.
Following this, Home Minister Mr. Shah, and former Karnataka chief ministers and BJP leaders Mr. Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai also posted on X, welcoming the JD(S) into the alliance.
State BJP leaders to be taken into confidence
Mr. Kumaraswamy is learnt to have advised the central BJP leaders that the official joining of the JD(S) to the NDA could be done after taking the State BJP leaders into confidence, making the alliance stronger. The BJP central leaders are expected to call the senior party leaders from the State shortly.
After the meeting, Mr. Kumaraswamy told presspersons that the meeting went on well and was based on trust and confidence. He said the BJP leaders had assured them of a just seat sharing formula, and that the JD(S) leaders have been asked not to remain anxious about the seats. “Date for the JD(S)’s formal joining to the NDA fold will be announced after the central BJP leaders speak to the State leaders. The focus is to win all the 28 seats in the State to ensure good governance at the Centre,” he said.
