Bengaluru:Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday held a joint meeting with JD(S) and state BJP leaders, as the campaign of the alliance partners for the Lok Sabha polls is set to gain momentum in Karnataka. The meeting is being seen as a move by the BJP and JD(S) to have better coordination on the ground and thrash out potential issues of conflict.
JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and some of his party's core committee members including its chief G T Devegowda, veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, saffron party state President B Y Vijayendra and its General Secretary in-charge of elections in Karnataka Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, along with several other leaders from the two parties were in attendance.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, G T Devegowda said, "Shah heard in detail about the situation and issues in every constituency. Our leader H D Kumaraswamy, Vijayendra and other leaders too shared information with him. Shah said in all 28 constituencies, BJP and JD(S) should work as one unit and our goal should be to defeat the Congress."
Shah suggested having a coordination committee of both parties in every Assembly and Lok Sabha constituency level, and assured every possible support in facing this election unitedly. "In all constituencies, including Mandya and Hassan (where JD(S) candidates are in fray), now there is no difference among leaders of both parties that were there earlier, and everyone has agreed to work for the alliance candidate unitedly to defeat Congress," Devegowda, a MLA said, adding that solution is being found to issues at every constituency level.
Kumaraswamy on Monday had said he along with his party colleagues will apprise Shah and share feedback on poll situation in various constituencies across Karnataka ahead of Lok Sabha elections. "Preparations are going well in all constituencies. We don't want small minor issues to disturb the understanding between both the parties, and our intention is that there should not be even a minor fault in reaching our goal. So we will discuss all matters with him," he had said.
As per the seat-sharing deal for the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP will contest in 25 constituencies and the JD(S) in the remaining three in the State. Later, Shah addressed 'Shakti Kendra' (a collective of 3-5 booths) leaders and workers from Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, Bangalore Rural and Chikkaballapur segments at the Palace Grounds here. Shah also chaired the party's core committee meeting, involving leaders from Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Davangere, Bidar and Belagavi districts.
There were some divisions within the BJP in these six seats over ticket distribution. "Shah heard disgruntled leaders and asked them to work for the victory of the party's official candidates, keeping aside differences, in the interest of the party and the country," BJP sources said. Shah later in the evening held a roadshow in Channapatna, under the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency, where Kumaraswamy's brother-in-law and eminent cardiologist C N Manjunath is contesting the polls on a BJP ticket.
Kumaraswamy, who is MLA from Channapatna, also took part in the road show. Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar's brother and MP D K Suresh is the Congress candidate in Bangalore Rural.
