Though the political ideology of the BJP and the Janata Dal (S) appear to be polls apart, leaders of both the parties believe that the proposed alliance between them is only “natural” considering the present political circumstances and ground realities.
While the morale of the BJP is down as the party has lost miserably in the recent elections to Karnataka Assembly, despite vigorous campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the JD(S) has lost political ground even in its main support base of the Old Mysore region.
Lack of confidence
The defeat has embarrassed the BJP Central leadership to such an extent that it appears to have lost confidence in the abilities of its State leaders. This is evident in the Central leadership not bothering to choose either the Leader of the Opposition or the new State president though more than 100 days have passed since the new dispensation took charge in Karnataka.
The saffron party appears to be suffering from leadership vacuum as a majority of its leaders have not grown beyond their areas and districts despite serving as Ministers for a long time. Though the octogenarian Lingayat strongman B.S. Yediyurappa continues to be the party’s best bet even now, age is not on his side.
No mood to take risk
Sources say that the party high command has now become more cautious in its approach and is in no mood to take the risk of going it alone in the crucial Lok Sabha polls.
At least in theory, it is not difficult for its workers to tie up with the JD(S) as the political constituencies of both the parties are different. Though a couple of areas, including Mandya, may turn out to be problematic as they have witnessed a poll tussle between workers of both the parties, the top leaders of the BJP appear to have chosen to look beyond them in larger interests.
Already, the floor arrangement between both the parties in the recently-held legislature session turned out to be effective as they were able to put the government in a spot over several issues. The BJP is said to be keen to use the potential of JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy as well as the image of his father and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda while beginning its poll campaign against the Congress that managed to get a thumping majority in the State Assembly polls.
Friends and foes by turns
In fact, the BJP tasted power for the first time in Karnataka when it formed a coalition government with the JD(S) in February 2006. The relation between both the parties soured as the JD(S) refused to transfer power to the BJP after 20 months. The relationship further deteriorated when the BJP caused the fall of the Kumaraswamy-led JD(S)-Congress coalition government in July 2019. But the defeat has brought both the parties together now.
