BJP, JD(S) to work in close coordination to unseat Cong government in Karnataka: Vijayendra

Bengaluru, Jul 10 (PTI) The BJP and JD(S) have decided to work in close coordination to counter the Congress government in Karnataka on various issues concerning the state and to unseat the "corrupt" administration in the next Assembly elections, its state president B Y Vijayendra said on Friday. Speaking after meeting Union Minister and JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy, Vijayendra expressed confidence that a coordination committee comprising leaders from both parties would soon be formed. “We discussed the current political situation in the state, the upcoming Assembly by-elections in Hiriyur and Dharwad, and the Legislative Council elections to four graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies. The BJP has already announced candidates for three MLC seats and has sought the JD(S)’ support in all of them,” Vijayendra said. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said they had discussed the need for the BJP and JD(S) to work together in closer coordination to remove the “corrupt” Congress government from power in the state. “For this, a BJP-JD(S) coordination committee should be announced immediately. The committee will include me, as state president, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi from the BJP. I have requested Kumaraswamy that he and two other leaders from his party be part of the committee,” he added. The BJP chief said Kumaraswamy had agreed to all the proposals and had also said that the BJP and JD(S) should work together enthusiastically to remove the “corrupt” Congress government from power in the state by resolving all inter-party issues through discussions. Responding to a question, Vijayendra said Kumaraswamy had suggested that the coordination committee remain as small as possible, and that the matter had also been discussed with BJP Karnataka in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agrawal. “The BJP and JD(S) have decided to work together not only in the interest of both parties, but also for the development of the state. The alliance reflects the wishes of the BJP’s national leadership that the parties should work together,” he added. Asked whether the Hiriyur Assembly seat would be left to the JD(S) in the upcoming by-election, Vijayendra said Kumaraswamy had expressed his views and that he, on behalf of the BJP, had also shared his opinion, pointing out that the BJP had previously won the constituency. “Both parties will work together to ensure victory in both Hiriyur and Dharwad without any confusion, and we have discussed that past mistakes should not be repeated,” he said, adding that any decision on leaving the Hiriyur seat to the JD(S) would be taken by the party high command, as the BJP is a national party. The BJP chief further alleged that the state government had no intention of conducting elections to local bodies, including the Greater Bengaluru Authority and zilla panchayats. He claimed that the government was using the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process as a reason to delay the GBA elections again. He criticised the government for not being in a position to expand the state cabinet. On the issue of street vendors in Bengaluru, Vijayendra said the BJP welcomed the government’s decision to clear footpath encroachments, but added that it should not forget that street vendors play an important role in strengthening the economy. “Instead of removing poor vendors without notice, the government should provide them with alternative arrangements. Protecting their interests is also the government’s responsibility,” he added. Stating that there were reports that more than 80,000 government files were pending clearance, Vijayendra said this reflected "the poor state of governance." He said that although Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had completed one month in office with much enthusiasm, the government should now focus on addressing the shortcomings of the past three years and prioritise the welfare of farmers. PTI KSU SSK