New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday said that the alliance between Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls had taken a hit in Karnataka with several Muslim leaders deserting the regional party within days of the pact being announced.
The Congress claimed that the pact would have no impact as it had already started the groundwork for the next Lok Sabha polls. "Within days of the JD-S-BJP alliance, the regional party has been hit. Several of its Muslim leaders have resigned from the party. This alliance will have no impact on the Congress,” AICC secretary in charge of Karnataka Abhishek Dutt told ETV Bharat.
According to reports, over 60 office bearers of the JD(S) unit of Mysuru city including the Minority wing led by JD(S) State Secretary Abdul Khader Shaahid, are set to resign from the party today.
According to Congress leaders, within days of the alliance being officially announced dozens of JD-S Muslim leaders, including the General Secretary and Shimoga unit president, and vice president, and media spokesperson had resigned. JD-S MLA from Devdurga assembly seat Karemma Nayak lashed out at the alliance and termed the BJP anti-Tribal party and JD-S ex-MLA from Tumkur Rural, Gauri Shankar is likely to resign and may join the Congress.
“The Muslim leaders are deserting the JD-S which had joined hands with the BJP in desperation. The vote share of the JD-S had shrunk in the recent assembly polls and they are trying to piggyback on the BJP. But the pact is not going to help either of them. In fact, it will help the Congress,” senior state Congress leader Prakash Rathod told ETV Bharat.
“The JD-S is an opportunistic party and there is nothing secular about it. They had a tacit understanding with the BJP in the assembly polls where they tried to dent the Congress on several seats. They put up a joint Muslim candidate in the Humnabad seat where we lost. The alliance only confirms what we always knew,” he said.
The Congress leader said that the BJP had been targeting the Congress over dynastic politics but had now joined hands with the JD-S being run by former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and his son HD Kumaraswamy.
“They did the same in Maharashtra where the BJP joined hands with NCP rebel Ajit Pawar days after slamming Sharad Pawar’s party as corrupt. The desperation is in the BJP camp as well. They are a sinking party nationally and would not be able to help the JD-S. The PM campaigned extensively in Karnataka but that could not save the BJP from losing. The same will happen in 2024,” said Rathod.
After its historic win of 135/224 assembly seats, the Congress is confident of winning at least 20 out of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka and said that preparations have already started for the 2024 contest. “Party leaders have been assigned observer duties seat wise and field surveys are on. The five poll guarantees are being implemented and will have an impact on the voters. The people have seen we deliver what we promise,” said Rathod.
Party insiders said state unit chief and deputy chief minister DK Shiv Kumar is spearheading the Lok Sabha strategy in the state and may soon induct several BJP and JD-S rebels into the Congress.
