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.
The alliance with the saffron party, over 15 years after the first one ended on a sour note over the JD(S) not transferring power to the BJP in 2007, is being seen in the light of the JD(S)’s near rout in the Vokkaliga heartland. The party saw its base weakened as the vote share shrank by about 5% from 2018 to 2023 Assembly elections resulting in 19 seats, down from 37 seats.
On transfer of votes
“Both the JD(S) and the BJP are in a quandary now. We also have to protect the party. In some places, the alliance is going to be good for both the parties. However, we are not expecting complete transfer of votes to each other at every place as there are different local dynamics at play,” a JD(S) source said. The alliance, sources said, will prevent transfer of its votes to the Congress, and instead could be turned towards the BJP. Vijayapura, Bidar, Raichur, Davangere, Chitradurga, and Shivamogga, among other districts, where the JD(S) has a base but cannot contest Independently could benefit the BJP, sources claimed.
“The alliance with BJP is more organic than the one with the Congress as the BJP does not have a big base in the Old Mysore region that in turn can be filled by the JD(S),” party sources said. “Unlike the 2019 elections when the JD(S) and the Congress fought in an alliance, this would be different. We do not see BJP leaders sabotaging like how the Congress leaders did last time.”
In Union Cabinet
Another source indicated that if the JD(S) manages to win three to four seats, the BJP is likely to accommodate one member in the Cabinet that in turn could strengthen the party. After the disqualification of Prajwal Revanna as Member of Parliament from Hassan, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, a Rajya Sabha member, is the only parliamentarian from the party currently.
