Karnataka Janata Dal (Secular) President, CM Ibrahim, has voiced his disappointment regarding the party's recent alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Ibrahim said, "Nothing should be hidden in politics." Addressing the media, Ibrahim expressed his dismay over former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy's meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, underlining that pivotal decisions should be made by the Party President.
Ibrahim also conveyed his regret that JD(S) veteran leader and Kumaraswamy;s father Deve Gowda, with his extensive leadership experience, had to approach the BJP. "BJP should have come to Deve Gowda," said Ibrahim.
“Deve Gowda hasn’t met anyone, Kumaraswamy went to Delhi. That is hurtful… he should have at least informed the party President. I will speak to him on October 16 and take a decision until then I have kept my options open,” he said.
The JD(S) joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on September 22, in preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. This development was announced by former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy after meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP Chief JP Nadda.
Ibrahim further said that he had the option to join the BJP much earlier, during the tenure of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “If you're entering into an alliance with the BJP, the question arises: who is extending the acceptance to whom? When you hold sway, there's no need to seek favours. If we had sought to align with the BJP, I would have done so long ago when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister and extended a ministerial role to me. I respect PM Modi and Amit Shah. I'm still a party President. I'm an elected president,” he said.
In the wake of the alliance announcement, JD(S) State Vice President Syed Shafiulla Saheb, alongside leaders M Srikanth and UT Ayesha Farzana, tendered their resignations from the party. Responding to this, Kumaraswamy had said that the new alliance would not demean any Muslim leader from the JD(S)-BJP coalition.
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