Former Karnataka CM and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy on Friday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi and formally joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). BJP President JP Nadda and Goa CM Pramod Sawant were also present during the meeting. Making an announcement about the collision, JP Nadda on X said, "I am happy that JD(S) has decided to be the part of National Democratic Alliance. We wholeheartedly welcome them in the NDA. This will further strengthen NDA and vision of Hon PM for “New India, Strong India”.
Clarifying that there is no demand from their side, Kumaraswamy said, "Today formally we discussed about joining hands with the BJP. We've discussed the preliminary issues formally...There is no demand (from our side)."
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who was also present in the meeting, said, "The way Prime Minister Modi is doing the development work, no party will say no to joining NDA...I also welcome him (JDS). NDA is going to come to power once again in the upcoming elections. We are going to win all the Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka..."
Talks on alliance between the two parties have been in the limelight ever since veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, who is also a parliamentary board member of the party, had said his party will have an understanding with JD(S) for the Lok Sabha elections, and the regional outfit will contest in four LS seats in Karnataka, which has a total of 28 constituencies.
The BJP had swept the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, 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. In the elections to the 224-member Assembly held in May this year, the Congress bagged 135 seats, while the BJP secured 66 and the JD(S) 19.
