The State politics is hotting up as the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and newly appointed BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra on Sunday discussed strategies for the legislature session to be held in Belagavi from December 4 and the coming Lok Sabha elections.
While the meeting of the two leaders, held at the Bidadi farmhouse of Mr. Kumaraswamy, was termed as a courtesy call, the two are learnt to have discussed political developments in the State. This is the first meeting of the two leaders after Mr. Vijayendra took over as the BJP State president. The BJP leader had earlier met the Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda.
The two leaders exuded confidence over the performance of the BJP-JD(S) alliance in the Lok Sabha elections and claimed that the alliance would win all the 28 seats in Karnataka.
“In the interest of the nation, discussions revolved around strengthening Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hands by ensuring another term for him. The seat sharing between the two parties would be discussed at the high command level,” Mr. Vijayendra told reporters after the meeting. ”The Congress should not win even one seat. We will work together to teach the Congress government a lesson. We have taken the Lok Sabha elections seriously. Mr. Modi, [Home Minister] Amit Shah, and [BJP national president] J.P. Nadda have discussed the alliance with Mr. Kumaraswamy.”
“Our alliance will win all the 28 seats in the State,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said, adding that he and BJP veteran B.S. Yediyurappa had worked well together during the 2006 BJP-JD(S) government. “The same coordination should return. Mr. Vijayendra, Nikhil Kumaraswamy and leaders of the two parties will strive to bring back the same coordination,” the former Chief Minister said.
Mr. Kumaraswamy said the blunders of the Congress government would be exposed through documents, and that both Mr. Vijayendra and Mr. Nikhil would tour the State like brothers.
Mr. Kumaraswamy recalling the days of his erstwhile alliance with the BJP is being seen in political circles as an indication that both the BJP and the JD(S), who have again come together, are eyeing the next Assembly elections in the State in addition to their immediate target of putting up an impressive performance in the Lok Sabha polls.
