BENGALURU: The JD(S), in plenty of disarray and facing mass defection, appears to have kept all options open on an
alliance ahead of the
bypolls that will decide the fate of the
BJP government.
While party supremo HD
Deve Gowda said he is dead against teaming up with the BJP but is not averse to another tie-up with the Congress, his son and former chief minister
HD Kumaraswamy appears to be moving the other way.
“Not that we are hankering for power, but considering the fact that interim elections are undesirable at this juncture when people are suffering the twin effects of floods and drought, we are in favour of supporting the ruling party,” said JD(S) state president HK Kumaraswamy. “We can consider an alliance with the BJP if they are ready to reciprocate.”
He was echoing HD Kumaraswamy, who was the first to offer support to the government. The JD(S) legislature party leader returned from a foreign tour on Saturday and held hectic parleys with partymen on how to broach the byelections.
The emphasis continued to remain on winning as many seats as possible in the Vokkaliga belt — 8 of 15 assembly constituencies — but many of JD(S) legislators favour sharing power with the BJP rather than the Congress.
An alliance with the JD(S) — which has 34 MLAs — will keep the BJP in power even if does not win the eight seats it requires in the bypolls. An alliance will also prove beneficial for the JD(S), which is facing mass defection to the BJP.
BJP leaders say the option of an alliance with the JD(S) was to render the outcome of the bypolls inconsequential. “There has been quite a bit of progress [on an alliance] in the past few days,” said a JD(S) leader. “However, there are a few sticking points that need to be ironed out.”
Last week, chief minister
BS Yediyurappa reportedly spoke to Gowda on the possibility of an alliance. In an interview with a Kannada news channel, Yediyurappa admitted the phone conversation, but later denied the conversation took place.
S Suresh Gowda, a JD(S) MLA, said, “We are open to all options. I think it will be a win-win situation for JD(S) and BJP post bypolls as they would need each other’s friendship. Let us wait and watch.”