Karnataka Election 2023: Mamata, KCR and Pinarayi to join hands with JDS?

JDS is a strong regional party and its role would be pivotal when either the Congress or JDS fail to get an absolute majority as had happened in the 2018 elections. 

As the campaign for the Karnataka assembly elections reaches its peak, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao are expected to arrive in the state to campaign for former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's Janata Dal-Secular.

According to reports, Chandrasekhar Rao may campaign in Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts as well as Raichur and Yadgiri (border constituencies of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh). The JD-S has formed a state election campaign committee comprising 21 members under the chairmanship of CM Dhananjaya, who left the Congress party and joined the JD-S recently. 

The main aim of creating the committee is to ensure that in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a third front or an anti-BJP front could be forged. Chandrasekhar Rao has already held talks in Bengaluru with JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda in this regard. 

Also, former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy visited West Bengal and discussed this with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Mamata had then assured the JDS that she would participate in the state election campaign. Ahead of the end of the campaign on May 8, the two leaders are expected to reach out to people and seek support for the JDS in the first week of May itself.

Meanwhile, JDS has also extended support to the Communist Party of India-Marxist in three constituencies of Karnataka. Therefore, it is being reported that there is also a thought of approaching Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

JDS is a strong regional party and its role would be pivotal when either the Congress or JDS fail to get an absolute majority as had happened in the 2018 elections. Karnataka goes to vote on May 10, while the counting of votes will be undertaken on May 13.