The former Karnataka chief minister said PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who are busy with other responsibilities, may decide on the issue in a couple of days.
BS Yediyurappa. (Supplied)
Days after stating that the BJP would have an understanding with former prime minister HD Deve Gowda-led JD(S) for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, veteran leader and former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday, 10 September, said discussions in this regard had not reached finality yet.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amith Shah, who are busy with other responsibilities, might decide on the issue in a couple of days.
“As Modiji is busy with other issues, there may most probably be a discussion after a couple of days. Till now, no discussions have taken place. We will have to wait and see,” Yediyurappa said.
Meanwhile, JD(S) Legislature Party leader and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy asserted in Bengaluru on Sunday that defeating the Congress in Karnataka in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls was his primary aim, adding that the JD(S)-BJP alliance talks were in the preliminary stages.
Yediyurappa told reporters, “When I spoke earlier, things had not come to any finality. Even now there is no finality. The prime minister, Amit Shah, and other leaders will discuss and decide, until then we will have to wait. I feel as Modiji and others are busy today and tomorrow, discussions may happen in two to three days.”
Yediyurappa on Friday said the BJP would have an understanding with the JD(S) for the Lok Sabha elections and four seats would be given to the JD(S), an announcement that shot up the political temperature in the state.
“The BJP will have an understanding with the Deve Gowda-led JD(S) for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” he had said.
“As part of the poll understanding, the JD(S) will contest in four Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, which has a total of 28 constituencies,” he added.
“The BJP and the JD(S) will have an understanding. Union minister Amit Shah has agreed to give four Lok Sabha seats to the JD(S),” Yediyurappa said.
He further added: “This has given us great strength and this will help us in winning 25 or 26 Lok Sabha seats together.”
The veteran leader, who is also a BJP parliamentary board member, had said that as part of the poll understanding, the JD(S) will contest in four LS seats in Karnataka, which has a total of 28 constituencies.
Asserting that the party was still in talks with the BJP, Kumaraswamy said: “I want to clarify that discussions about our party — the JD(S) — and the BJP contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together are still in their initial stages.”
He added: “There have been no talks about seat-sharing between our parties at this point. We will take a decision that is in the best interest of the state.”
He also said: “I appreciate Yediyurappa’s statement about the alliance, but we need to consider various factors before reaching a final decision.”
Asked about seat-sharing, HD Kumaraswamy said, “We will resolve those issues smoothly. These are preliminary issues. How many seats we will contest is not the question here. Our intention, our aim is to defeat Congress in this election. Everyone is seeing how they have been running the government in Karnataka over the last two months.
Regarding reports of his father and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda meeting with the BJP high command, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he said: “I would say, ‘Wait and watch’ for further developments.”
The BJP had swept the 2019 LS polls in Karnataka by winning 25 seats, while an independent (Sumalatha Ambareesh from Mandya) backed by it won one seat. The Congress and JD(S) won one seat each.
(With PTI inputs)
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