“Congress is in fear,” Karnataka LoP R Ashoka

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 29 (ANI): Karnataka leader of opposition, R Ashoka, said they held a meeting with Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy to discuss the election strategy as the southern state is going to polls in two phases starting on April 26.

After the meeting, the BJP leader told ANI on Thursday, “We discussed issues regarding the election strategy and how to organise rallies with HD Kumaraswamy so that we can win 4 constituencies in the Bengaluru region.”

On the nomination of Congress leader DK Suresh from the Bangalore rural constituency, he said, “Naturally, he (DK Suresh) has filed the nomination but they (Congress) are in fear; they distributed nothing last time but are doing so this time (Cooker and everything)”.

The BJP leader expressed confidence that the BJP is winning in Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency, one of the 28 constituencies in the state.

“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was also there in the nomination; it shows that things aren’t easy for them and the BJP is winning Bangalore rural.”

The meeting came two days after a clash erupted between the workers of the two allies during a joint coordination meeting in Tumakuru district on Monday.

The BJP-JD(S) alliance announced their seat-sharing arrangement for three seats earlier this month. As per the arrangement, JD(S) will be contesting in three seats: Mandya, Kolar and Hassan parliamentary constituencies.

Kumaraswamy will be contesting from Mandya in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, while the party is yet to announce its candidate for the Kolar seat.

Prajwal Revanna filed his nomination as a JDS candidate for the Hassan constituency on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Tejasvi Surya said on Monday that the alliance of the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) will have a “positive impact” on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.

“BJP-JDS coming together has given strength to both parties at the grassroots levels. I’m very confident that in all 28 Lok Sabha seats, this alliance will have a very positive impact. In many seats where our vote shares are very good, it will further increase,” Surya told ANI.

Karnataka, which has 28 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in two phases on April 26 and May 7.In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and JD-S fought together against the BJP and the combine was decimated.

The BJP had won a record 25 seats; Congress and JD-S won just one seat each.

The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases, starting on April 19. The counting of votes is on June 4.