Karnataka: JDS President Hurt Over Alliance With BJP

BENGALURU: State unit president of Janata Dal Secular (JDS) C.M. Ibrahim on Saturday said he is “hurt” over the attitude of former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and also JDS supremo H.D. Devegowda for taking him into confidence in forging alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party and stated that he has been kept in the “dark” over the alliance with BJP by his party leaders.

Ibrahim told reporters in Bengaluru that he had called for a meeting of like-minded persons in Bengaluru on October 16 where he could make his stand clear after JDS joined hands with the BJP for Lok Sabha polls in 2024. After the meeting with like-minded persons, he said, to hold talks with Kumaraswamy and Devegowda and make his stand public. So far, he said, he has not met Kumaraswamy or Devegowda.

“I’m the President of the party and I have not been informed about going to New Delhi to forge alliance with BJP nor I was deliberated on the discussions that took place with BJP leaders in New Delhi,” said a miffed Ibrahim.

Continuing, he said, “If it’s a party decision on forging an alliance then a discussion has to take place, followed by a resolution and a minute has to be passed. Members have to insert their signature and ultimately the State President of the party has to put in his signature (to ratify any alliance).”

Ibrahim said it was decided that the Core Committee of JDS would embark upon a State tour to elicit opinions of party leaders and workers on forging an alliance with the BJP but the Core Committee is to begin its State wide tour and even before that alliance with BJP has been forged by the JDS.

The State JDS chief Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU leader Nitish Kumar and some Congress leaders have contacted him after JDS tied-up with BJP but he said to make his stand known after a meeting with like-minded persons on October 16.

He said that Muslims have not distanced from JDS and JDS received about 20 per cent votes of Muslims in the Assembly elections held in May this year and stated Kumaraswamy himself had admitted that Muslims had voted him to victory in Channapatna Assembly seat to defeat his nearest rival and BJP nominee C.P. Yogeshwar.