Karnataka elections: After BSP, NCP and Left, JD(S) plans tie-up with farmer bodies

Bengaluru: While the Congress and BJP are busy drawing up their own strategies for the coming elections to the state assembly, the Janata Dal(S) has almost completed formalities for a tie-up with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the NCP, and its talks with the CPI and CPI (M), old allies of party supermo, H D Deve Gowda, are said to be in final stages. The party is also planning alliances with some farmer organisations, and transporters' associations, that are not affiliated to any political outfit, going by sources.

State JD(S) chief, H D Kumaraswamy, who announced its alliance with the BSP and its decision to share 27 seats with it on Thursday, later held talks with NCP leader, Sharad Pawar. The NCP is reportedly interested in contesting the coming poll from five to seven constituencies, including those bordering Maharashtra and which are the strongholds of the MES like Khanapur and Belgaum (South).

By forging an alliance with the NCP, the JD(S) is hoping to appeal to Marathi voters across the state, according to party sources. Mr Deve Gowda and JD(S) leader, PGR Sindhia, a Marathi himself, are said to keen on the tie-up with the NCP, which has no base in Karnataka as yet. The CPI and CPI(M), meanwhile, could be given around five seats to contest, sources reveal.

These would include Bagepalli, once a CPI(M) stronghold, and constituencies in Dakshina Kannada and Udipi, that are close to Kerala. Although the party reportedly tried to woo pro-Kannada organisations, most are already backing either the Congress or BJP.

So JD(S) is now working with taxi, lorry and autorickshaw drivers' and owners' associations, which are not affiliated to any political party in the hope to win them over.