Janata Dal (Secular) Karnataka state president, CM Ibrahim, expressed his strong disagreement with the party's choice to align with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Ibrahim underscored his unwavering commitment to secularism and made it clear that if the party's top leaders, HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy, decide to form an alliance with the BJP, they are free to do so.
Nonetheless, Ibrahim stood by his decision not to align with the BJP, which suggests a potential division within the party.
On September 22, HD Deve Gowda had consented to join the BJP-led alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
"We initially decided that JD(S) will not collaborate with the NDA. The second decision was an appeal to Deve Gowda not to give his consent to this alliance," Ibrahim was quoted as saying by the PTI news agency.
Ibrahim asserted that his faction represents the original JD(S), which upholds the values of secularism. In his role as the state president, he believed he held the authority to make decisions regarding the party's course in Karnataka.
In response to Ibrahim's remarks, HD Kumaraswamy acknowledged Ibrahim's autonomy and mentioned that they would await his final decision.
Ibrahim intends to establish a core committee to convene with HD Deve Gowda and communicate the resolutions adopted during the recent meeting. He also suggested that several MLAs have been in contact with him, although he refrained from disclosing their names to avoid exerting undue pressure.
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