Even though the proposed alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) for the Lok Sabha elections appears set to emerge as a potent electoral combination to counter the Congress’s surge in Old Mysore region, a question mark hangs over the alliance partners’ ability to consolidate their respective votes for a common goal.
The tie-up proposal comes at a time when the Congress, after its landslide victory in the recent Assembly elections, is looking to further its political domination in the region with the help of the guarantee schemes ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
For the JD(S), still licking the wounds inflicted by its traditional rival Congress in the Old Mysore region, a tie-up with the national party making a serious bid to return to power at the Centre may help resuscitate it. Similarly, an alliance with the JD(S) will help boost the BJP’s electoral strength in Old Mysore region. The saffron party, which has not been able to make much headway in the region, could capitalise on the political strength of the JD(S), which has retained its cadre despite the electoral reverses.
