The proposed Janata Dal (Secular)-BJP alliance for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls is being viewed by the regional party, which received a drubbing in the Assembly elections, more as a hedging tactic against the Congress’s aggressive posture and to protect its flock from being poached.
A turf war
Having come to power with a comfortable majority, the Congress, with which the JD(S) has fought a turf war over the Old Mysore region in the last two decades, has been making an aggressive posture towards the regional outfit, causing anxiety in the party’s ranks. KPCC president and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who had been jostling for Vokkaliga leadership, has been particularly seen wading into JD(S) territory and local leadership for the past couple of months.
