BJP after its disastrous defeat in Karnataka Assembly elections, making afresh bid to revive for next year parliamentary elections. It has not yet understood what made the defeat so disgusting even with Modi road shows and Shaw public meetings. That's why RSS has warned them that only Modi charisma is not enough to garner votes. There are many small local elections to be fought before parliament elections. But neither BJP nor JDS are in a position to face them courageously. But they have to survive and slowly revive to remain in political scenario of Karnataka. It's beyond rumours that both the parties are eager to forge an alliance to keep Congress out in 2024 parliament elections.
Bitter relations
This is the second time both parties are trying to make an alliance. The alliance of 2016 was bitter for BJP as H D Kumaraswamy refused to hand over the power. There was a big fight between the two part over power. More over they are not natural allies. They fought each other in recent elections. Their ideology is different. JDS says it secular although it is family inherited.People call BJP a communal party but democratic in nature. One is national and another is purely regional. In noway they are match to each other. Strange bed fellows making an alliance is just for convenience and for survival.
Devegowda asks what's wrong to have an alliance with BJP
JDS patriorch H D Devegowda made it clear that there will be an alliance with BJP or not. He indirectly favoured it asking which party has not associated with BJP in one or the other way. He emphasized that all parties including Congress have hobnobbed with BJP directly or indirectly. He narrated Karunanidhi of DMK supported BJP for six years. He is also not in favour of ongoing efforts to forge an anti BJP third front in the leadership of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. JDS may not attend the Opposition parties meeting called in Patna later this month. Recently his son H D Kumaraswamy made an urgent visit to Delhi to meet Amit Shaw. But sure,this alliance is in cooking.
BJP's Strategy
BJP keeping parliament elections in view, luring its ex NDA partners to come back to its fold. Meaning it wants same type of alliance with small local parties like JDS in Karnataka. Recently Amit Shaw met Andra Pradesh former chief minister and Telugu Desham supremo Chandrababu Naidu and discussed with him on strengthening NDA. Likewise in Maharashtra, Shivsena wants to tie up with BJP for future elections. In North eastern states also it is tying up with local parties. Navu Patnaik of Biju Janata Dal and Chief Minister of Odisha has also soft corner for Modi.
Mixed Local Mood
Locally, BJP leaders are not in favour of such an unholy relationship. It is devided on the issue. A section of the party feels the tie-up will be beneficial to local party and to BJP which is a national party. A few others say it is helpful to BJP if it selects more new facesa as there is fear that about a dozen old faces will be removed. It will be an herculian task to retain its supremacy of 26 seats in Lok Sabha from Karnataka if the same Congress wave continues. Hence they advocate a tie up with JDS with certain vote share in some areas.
If you look at the old episodes of their relationship, it is detrimental to have an alliance with JDS. Because bringing coordination with party cadres will be a difficult thing. Because all through they have fought like bitter enemies. With hand in hand BJP cannot make inroads into vokkaliga belt. In the assembly elections BJP hasmade significant increase of 5% vote share in vokkaliga dominated areas. BJP is better placed than JDS in parliament elections as local issues take back seat and national interest would take centre stage. Every one feels that it would be good for BJP to keep a safe distance between JDS and Congress. But who knows what is there in mind of both the parties?
(Dr Mysi Patil is the State Correspondent)
Dr Mysi Patil 
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