Ignored by BJP in Karnataka, JD(U) threatens to review alliance

With the BJP announcing its nominees for 136 out of the 224 Karnataka Assembly seats, Janata Dal (U) here on Friday decided to review the alliance...

With the BJP announcing its nominees for 136 out of the 224 Karnataka Assembly seats, Janata Dal (U) here on Friday decided to review the alliance at a meeting of its parliamentary party next week. Party president Sharad Yadav charged the BJP with violating coalition norms and said the JD (U) parliamentary party meeting will “decide future course of action”.

The meeting will be held only after the Parliament resumes the Budget session from April 15. The JD (U) is upset because the BJP’s list covers 12 of the 25 seats that the party had marked for itself.

Hurt by the BJP’s indifference, Yadav stopped short of a harsher response like boycotting NDA meetings. He said a meeting of the national executive would be convened soon. However, the fact that he did not announce any date for these crucial meetings showed that the party was still open to compromise.

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The BJP reacted with predictable restraint. “We believe coalition relations can’t be discussed through the media,” said senior party leader and in charge of Karnataka, Arun Jaitley. He maintained that BJP had declared its nominees only for the “sure” seats.

However, JD (U) general secretary Shambhu Sharan Srivastav charged, “How can they decide which seats we would not contest?”

The BJP sources indicated that talks would be held at the level of state presidents. The JD (U) did not approve of the idea. Sources in the party said, “This is the last stage and the matter can be sorted out only by national leaders.”

Though the BJP leaders swear by alliance, general secretary Ananth Kumar, a key Karnataka leader, said on Thursday evening that the strength of the partners is crucial to determine who gets how many seats.

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Yadav, on his part, refused to comment on the BJP’s contention that ground realities determine the seat-share. “It is always the bigger party which enters in to an alliance,” Yadav said in reply to a question. He reminded the BJP that both parties had been allies in Karnataka since 1999.

The fact is that the JD (U) finds it difficult to reconcile to the idea of virtual extinction from a state that it once ruled. There has been a steep decline in the party’s fortunes since 1999 when the JD (U) contested 90 Assembly seats, leaving the rest for the BJP. In 2004, the BJP handed 25 seats to the JD (U).

This time, the BJP may restrict JD (U) to half-a-dozen seats — mostly of its own choice. The present state of affairs is largely due to desertions from within the ranks. When asked about poaching of JD (U) leaders, including Basvaraj Bommai, by the BJP, Jaitley argued, “It is for the party concerned to hold its strength together.”

Though not enthused to go it alone, the JD (U) is getting ready with a tentative plan to fight as many seats as possible in order to register its presence and make the BJP pay the cost for its indifference. At the same time, hope still lingers on in JD (U) that the BJP would take it on board.