No BJP alliance? JD(S) to contest all 28 Lok Sabha seats

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: JD(S) legislature party leader HD Kumaraswamy has declared that his party will contest all 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka next year. He also sought to downplay the impact of ‘Operation Hasta’ on the party.

The phrase refers to attempts by Congress to poach BJP and JD(S) MLAs. “I am not saying we will win all 28 seats. We have a chance of winning 28 seats,” he added.

There had been rumours that JD(S) would have a pre-poll tie-up with the BJP for the general elections but it was quashed by party patriarch HD Deve Gowda.

He had been reacting to some party MLAs viewing an alliance negatively because they stood to lose Muslim support in their constituencies. JD(S) has been wary of an existential crisis because Congress led by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and CM Siddaramaiah are reportedly trying to engineer the defection of two-thirds of party MLAs (at least 13).

This would enable the rebels to claim the party symbol and avoid by-polls.