Months of speculation in the political corridors of Karnataka over a possible alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) have now been set to rest. Last week, leaders of both the parties announced separately that their talks had made headway. This could change the contours of the political landscape in the State in the 2024 general elections.
Though the seat-sharing arrangement for the 28 parliamentary seats is yet to be hammered out, the strategy is to deny the Congress, which is hoping for a good performance in Karnataka to better its national tally, as many seats as possible. The JD(S) is expected to get 4-6 seats in the sharing arrangement.
The proposed tie-up comes after the two parties parted ways on an acrimonious note in 2007, when the JD(S) refused to hand over power to the BJP as part of their alliance pact in the coalition government. During the 2018 Assembly elections, the two were not allies, but the Congress referred to the JD(S) as the “B team” of the BJP given the speculation that there was an internal understanding between the two parties.
