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Pawar's NCP dumps pre-poll allianceas JD(S) gets 'cosy' with BJP

Last Updated 06 April 2018, 12:49 IST

Bengaluru, DHNS: Is the JD(S) getting cosy with the BJP? At least, this is what the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) believes. As a result, the NCP has decided not to go ahead with a pre-poll alliance plan with the regional party.

"Our only condition for the pre-poll alliance was that the JD(S) should not have a truck with the BJP in the event of a hung Assembly. But it looks like this condition will not be met. So, the deal is more or less over," NCP Karnataka general secretary Tilak S Nambiar said.

The NCP's decision to pull out of the alliance talks with the JD(S) gives credence to speculation in political circles that there could be a throwback to 2006 situation
when the JD(S) and the BJP joined hands to form a government.

It was in February that Pawar met JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy. As part of the pre-poll alliance, the NCP was to contest 5-7 seats. The party will now fight the polls on its own.

"We will contest mostly in North Karnataka, which we feel is our stronghold. The number of seats and candidates will be finalised this week," Nambiar said.

The Congress has angered the JD(S) camp with party president Rahul Gandhi himself launching repeated attacks on the regional party. The BJP, however, has refrained from criticising the JD(S).

Not only did the Congress cold-shoulder the regional party's call to help its Rajya Sabha nominee B M Farook get elected in the recent polls, but Rahul also dubbed the JD(S) as the BJP's 'B' team.

Recently in Mysuru, BJP president Amit Shah seemed guarded while responding to a question on the JD(S).

"There's no question of any alliance. We will fight the election in all 224 seats on our own," he said.

It is also learnt that the BJP could tacitly support the JD(S) by not fielding a strong candidate in the Chamundeshwari constituency, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will contest from.

The JD(S) candidate here is incumbent legislator G T Deve Gowda.

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(Published 03 April 2018, 19:20 IST)

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