Hopeful of a consolidation in their respective support base after the Congress’s comprehensive victory in the assembly polls in Karnataka, the BJP on Friday sealed its alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) in the southern State.

JD(S) leader H. D. Kumaraswamy met Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J. P. Nadda, following which the Nadda announced that the two parties had formally joined forces. “I am happy that the JD(S) has decided to be part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). We wholeheartedly welcome them in the NDA. This will further strengthen the NDA and the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ‘New India Strong India’,” Nadda said on X.

Consolidating position

While the Congress has likened their coming together to “two sinking swimmers clinging together”, the BJP clearly aims to consolidate its position especially in the Old Mysuru region after having come down to just 66 seats in the 224-member assembly in the elections held earlier this year.

For the JD(S), which has been reduced to its lowest ever tally of 19 seats in the State assembly, it is battle for staying relevant. The BJP, however, would drive a hard bargain in the seat-sharing talks considering that the party had won a staggering 25 of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats in the State in the 2019 general elections. The JD(S) had managed to win only one seat in the 2019 elections.

Commenting on the alliance, Karnataka Minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge said, “It is clear that the BJP has become the B-team of JD(S). Most importantly, the JD(S) should drop the word ‘Secular’ from their party as they have joined hands with the most communal party of India.”