BENGALURU: Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday said JDS and BJP will work together — inside the Assembly as well as outside — against the Congress government.
He said they will fight together against irregularities and corruption in the Congress government as both are opposition parties. As of now, JDS will not join NDA as there is time for the Lok Sabha elections.
Kumaraswamy’s remarks at a joint press conference with former chief minister and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai gave credence to speculations over the regional party joining hands with BJP to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
On Thursday, leaders of both parties jointly petitioned the governor against the state government’s move of deputing IAS officers to receive politicians attending the opposition parties’ meeting in the city earlier this week. Kumaraswamy and other JDS legislators had signed a memorandum written on the BJPLP letterhead.
Kumaraswamy and Bommai also announced their decision to fight against the alleged irregularities in the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) road project.
HDK living a short-lived dream: Expert
JDS sources said their party hopes to win a few Lok Sabha seats with BJP’s support. JDS wants to contest Bengaluru Rural, Mandya, Hassan, and Tumakuru LS constituencies. However, this proposal is in its initial stage, the sources added.
In 2006, Kumaraswamy became CM for the first time with BJP’s support. While BJP is yet to announce its candidate for the post of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, JDS, with 19 MLAs, has already declared Kumaraswamy as its floor leader. Kumaraswamy backed BJP when it took on the government on various issues, including the suspension of its 10 MLAs.
A political expert said Kumaraswamy joining hands with BJP or NDA would not be a good idea for JDS, which has its own identity in Karnataka. “If he thinks BJP has no strong candidate to become Leader of Opposition or BJP needs JDS’ support, he is living a short-lived dream,” the expert added.