Karnataka: Will JD-S hand over power to BJP?

The power struggle in Karnataka seems to be growing by the day. While a cloud remains on whether the Janata Dal-Secular will hand over power to the Bharatiya Janata Party in October, a faction of the JD-S is trying to enter into a pact with the Congress.

While some of the senior Congress leaders are sending feelers to the JD-S regarding power sharing in the seat, a host of other Congress legislators feel that any sort of alignment with the JD-S will spell doom in Karnataka.

Some Congress leaders have already rushed to New Delhi to try and convince the big wigs in the party not to enter into any sort of alliance with the JD-S.

One of the MLAs, who is camping in Delhi, said that the party's chances in the next election will be bad if it were to align with the JD-S.

Congress leaders Motamma, Dinesh Gundurao, Nanjundaswamy, Kariyanna, Munivenkataswamy, Salim Ahmed, Bimba Raikar, H C Somashekhar and others are in Delhi.

They will meet with the All India Congress Committee leaders and coax them not to enter into any pact with the JD-S in the interest of the party.

They feel that it would carry a wrong signal to the masses and Congress will be viewed as the party which entered into a pact to prevent a legitimate claim by the BJP.

The MLAs also say that one should not forget the betrayal by the JD-S while it toppled the Dharam Singh-led Congress
government before aligning with the BJP.

The JD-S and BJP had entered into an alliance in the state to form the government. As per the agreement, the JD-S will have to hand over power to the BJP in October.

Insiders in the JD-S say that there were feelers from top Congress leaders to enter into an alliance.

However, nothing has been finalised as yet.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, however, maintains that power will be transferred as agreed upon. BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, who is expected to be the chief minister once the power transfer takes place, says that he will not speak on the issue till October.

At present there are around 30 Congress leaders camping in Delhi. They are expected to meet Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes and party's Karnataka in-charge secretary M M Jacob and general secretary B K Hariprasad.