In a significant development, the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister of Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy, declared on Sunday that the party members have collectively voted to continue their alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.
Kumaraswamy made the announcement, stating, “In today’s meeting, our senior party leaders unanimously have given an endorsement to continue the alliance between BJP and JD(S)… There is no difference in our party… All MLAs were present here.”
This decision comes amidst reports of growing discontent among JD(S) party workers over the party’s participation in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls.
JD(S) state president C M Ibrahim had previously mentioned that he would decide on the future course of action after meeting like-minded individuals on October 16. Notably, several prominent leaders, including NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, had communicated with him regarding the alliance.
The dissent within the party ranks became evident when Karnataka’s Janata Dal (Secular) Vice President, Syed Shafiulla Saheb, resigned from the party. In his resignation, he highlighted the ideological differences between JD(S) and BJP, stating, “I have resigned from the Janata Dal (Secular) party following its decision to form an alliance with the BJP. The ideology of the JD(S) and BJP, which is based on Hindutva, are different.”
Additional leaders, including M Srikanth and UT Ayesha Farzana, also resigned from the party, indicating discontent among several Muslim functionaries within the JD(S).
However, JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda dismissed allegations of unhappy workers quitting the party due to the BJP tie-up and accused the ruling Congress party in Karnataka of spreading false propaganda. He clarified that the decision to align with the Bharatiya Janata Party for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections was made following consultations with his party colleagues.
Deve Gowda remarked, “Before joining BJP, I took the views of our 19 MLAs and 8 MLCs who said that JD(S) should consider entering into an understanding with BJP.”
It is worth noting that in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, JD(S) had formed an alliance with the Congress, but both parties suffered a significant defeat as the BJP secured 25 out of the 28 seats in Karnataka. Even an independent candidate backed by the BJP won in the Mandya constituency, a traditional JD(S) stronghold.
The JD(S) has a history of forming alliances with both the BJP and the Congress in Karnataka. Despite winning 19 seats in the recent Karnataka Assembly elections held in May, it marked the party’s worst performance in its history. Significantly, the JD(S) was not invited to either the NDA meeting in Delhi or the meeting of the Opposition-INDIA bloc in Bengaluru in July, indicating a complex political landscape in the state.
