BJP, JD(S) Renew Karnataka Alliance for All Future Polls, First Test on October 23: Yediyurappa

Kalaburagi: Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said on Monday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) will contest all future elections in Karnataka together under the NDA banner, signalling a renewed electoral understanding between the two parties ahead of the 2028 Assembly election.

Addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi, Mr. Yediyurappa said the leaders of both parties had agreed to sustain the alliance and contest the upcoming elections jointly.

The alliance will face its first electoral test in the elections to four Legislative Council constituencies on October 23. The BJP is contesting the South-East Graduates', West Graduates' and North-East Teachers' constituencies, while the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency has been allotted to the JD(S). The outcome is expected to give a clearer picture of the level of coordination between the two parties as they prepare for the larger electoral contest in 2028.

The BJP has renominated Shashil G. Namoshi, a sitting MLC, from the North-East Teachers' constituency. Mr. Yediyurappa expressed confidence in Mr. Namoshi's prospects, saying he had toured the constituency extensively and had sought the support of teachers.

The former Chief Minister also criticised the Congress government over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He said any errors in the process should be rectified and those responsible for lapses should face action.

"If there are mistakes in the SIR process, the government should rectify them, but putting pressure on teachers and other government employees involved in the electoral exercise is not right," he said, alleging that Mr. Shivakumar had misused his authority.

Mr. Yediyurappa further alleged that the police were booking BJP workers under pressure from the Congress government, following Mr. Shivakumar's October 1 protest at the Election Commission office in Bengaluru over the alleged mass filing of Form-7 applications.

He accused the government of failing to address vacancies and infrastructure gaps in the education sector. He claimed that around 45,000 teaching posts and 6,000 university faculty positions were vacant, and that nearly 15,000 school buildings were in a dilapidated condition.

He also criticised the government's response to farmers affected by drought and urged it to provide greater assistance to those facing distress.

Responding to Mr. Shivakumar's assertion regarding the 2028 Assembly election, Mr. Yediyurappa said the Congress leader was "under an illusion" about his party returning to power. He said the days when elections could be won solely through "money power, muscle power and caste power" were over.

He expressed confidence that the BJP, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, would return to power in Karnataka in 2028 with a clear majority.

Asked who would be the Chief Ministerial face of the BJP-JD(S) alliance, Mr. Yediyurappa said the question could be addressed after the elections. "Let us first face the elections," he said.

Former Union Minister Bhagwant Khuba, former MP Umesh Jadhav, MLC N. Ravikumar, MLAs Shailendra Beldal, Basavaraj Mattimadu and Avinash Jadhav, and Mr. Namoshi were present.

The allegations made at the press conference reflect the BJP's stated position. The claims regarding vacancies, the SIR process and police action were not accompanied by supporting documents at the briefing.