Southern States - Karnataka   

Janata Party, BJP may enter into poll pact

By S. Rajendran

Bangalore Jan. 3. The Janata Party is believed to be interested in arriving at an understanding at the State level with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the lines of the National Democratic Alliance at the Centre, and should everything fall in line, the pact is expected to be given a shape by the month-end.

Sources in the two parties told here today that the idea emerged with both the Janata Party and the BJP wishing to put up a direct fight against the Congress and its associate parties in all Legislative Assembly constituencies in the State. With the Congress deciding to opt for alliances with secular parties, the BJP in the State had also sought to strike alliances rather than go it alone in the coming Assembly elections.

The Working President of the Janata Party, Vijay Mallya, is reported to have had discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani and the BJP President, Venkaiah Naidu, at Tirupathi today. All of them were at Tirumala in connection with Vaikunta Ekadasi, and the occasion is believed to have enabled them to share their thoughts on forging an alliance at the State level, if not at the national level. Interestingly, Mr. Mallya is also stated to have been sounded out for an alliance during the course of a meeting with the President of the BJP State unit, H.N. Ananth Kumar, and the Chairman of the Campaign Committee, B.S. Yediyurappa, in New Delhi recently.

Mr. Mallya, who is believed to be scouting for alliances over the past few weeks, has made it clear that he is keen on a direct contest against the Congress. The Janata Party believes that the Janata Dal (Secular) headed by the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, will, in all likelihood, strike an alliance with the Congress, and therefore, it has decided to go ahead with talks with the BJP. It was said that senior leaders of the BJP who have good contacts with Mr. Mallya have been contacting the latter for an alliance.

Meanwhile, the Janata Party is also in the process of finalising a merger with the All-India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD). Sources in the Janata Party indicated that the merger would be completed after January 15. Under the proposed merger agreement, the President of the party, Subramanian Swamy, is likely to take over as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Board, yielding the president's post to S.R. Bommai. The President of the State unit of the party, K.N. Nage Gowda, will be accommodated as the President of the unified party at the State level.

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