Karnataka Allies JD(S) and BJP: A Discrepancy in LS Seat-Sharing Aspirations
January 20, 2024 | by indiatoday360.com

The Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) and the Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP have recently joined hands to fight the Congress in Karnataka for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The two parties, which were once bitter rivals, have decided to work with “mutual trust and consultation” in the choice of candidates for the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state. However, there is a discrepancy in their seat-sharing aspirations, as the JD(S) is keen on contesting around five seats, while the BJP has offered only three seats to its new ally.
The BJP’s offer
The BJP, which had a sweeping victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, winning 25 out of 28 seats, has offered the JD(S) three seats in the Old Mysuru region, where the latter has a strong base among the dominant Vokkaliga agricultural community. The three seats are Hassan, Mandya and one from among Kolar, Bengaluru Rural and Tumkur. Hassan is the family borough of JD(S) leader and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, while Mandya is the epicentre of the Vokkaliga politics, where Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy lost to independent candidate Sumalatha Ambarish in 2019 with the backing of the BJP and Congress. The BJP has also agreed to consult the JD(S) before choosing its candidates for the remaining seats.
The JD(S)’s demand
The JD(S), which won only one seat (Hassan) in 2019, is keen on contesting around five seats to preserve its political standing in the state. The party has asked the BJP to allot one seat in north Karnataka, where it has a small base in the Hyderabad Karnataka region. The JD(S) is waiting to see if the BJP will allot Raichur when seat-sharing is formalised, said party insiders. The party has also justified its alliance with the BJP as a means to defeat the Congress in Karnataka, which is led by former chief minister Siddaramaiah. The JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda said that they want to demolish the Congress era in Karnataka and that Siddaramaiah is dreaming of winning 20 Lok Sabha seats.
The implications
The JD(S)-BJP alliance is a political compulsion for both parties, as they face a resurgent Congress after the assembly polls in 2023, where the latter emerged as the single largest party with 112 seats out of 224. The alliance is also an ideological mismatch, as the JD(S) is a secular and regional party, while the BJP is a nationalistic and Hindutva party. The alliance may face challenges in convincing their respective voters and cadres about their common agenda and vision for Karnataka. Moreover, the alliance may also face internal dissent and rebellion from some leaders who may be unhappy with the seat-sharing arrangement or the choice of candidates. The alliance will have to overcome these hurdles and present a united front to take on the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls.
Conclusion
The JD(S) and BJP have formed an alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, but there is a discrepancy in their seat-sharing aspirations. The JD(S) wants five seats, while the BJP has offered three seats. The two parties have decided to work with mutual trust and consultation in choosing their candidates. The alliance is a political compulsion and an ideological mismatch for both parties, as they face a strong Congress challenge. The alliance will have to overcome internal and external challenges to succeed in their mission of defeating the Congress in Karnataka.
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