NEW DELHI: Putting an end to speculations, the Janata Dal (Secular) on Friday said it will ally with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The decision was announced after JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy met BJP national president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Nadda’s residence.
The JD(S) joining its camp will give the BJP a boost in Karnataka as it prepares for the general elections, months after losing the state Assembly elections to the Congress. “I am happy that JD(S) has decided to be the part of National Democratic Alliance. We wholeheartedly welcome them in the NDA. This will further strengthen NDA and vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji for ‘New India, Strong India’,” Nadda wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Welcoming the JD(S) to the NDA, Shah tweeted: “Their association will lead Karnataka on the path of development and pave the way for a stronger NDA and a stronger India.” BJP sources said talks with JD(S) leaders have been going on for the last six months. Party leaders believe an alliance with the JD(S) will ensure its domination in Karnataka in the Lok Sabha elections as the regional party enjoys a strong political grip in the state’s southern parts. The JD(S) is the third biggest political party in Karnataka after the Congress and the BJP in Karnataka.