JD(S) formally joins BJP after Kumaraswamy meets Shah, Nadda
After the meeting with JD(S) chief Kumaraswamy, BJP president JP Nadda posted on social media that he welcomed the JD(S) into the NDA
In what will give a fillip to the BJP's position in Karnataka ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Janada Dal (Secular) has formally decided to join forces with the saffron party.
This development came after JD(S) chief H D Kumaraswamy met home minister Amit Shah and party president J P Nadda.
After the meeting, Nadda posted on X, "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 the vision of Hon PM Narendra Modi Ji for 'New India, Strong India'." Shah was present in the meeting.
Strong third player
Headed by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, the JD(S) has long been a strong third player in the southern state where the Congress and the BJP have been the two main parties. The regional party, however, suffered a sharp decline in the recent Assembly polls in the state when the Congress scored a big win, reducing the BJP to a distant third.
The BJP, which heads the NDA, believes an alliance with the JD(S) will ensure its domination in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, as the regional party enjoys considerable influence in south Karnataka where the saffron party has traditionally been weak.
(With inputs from agencies)