Karnataka:The JD(S) has officially joined the BJP-led NDA in preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year. In response to this development, senior Muslim leaders, including Syed Shafiullah, who held the position of the party’s senior state vice-president, have resigned from all party positions.

This move by the JD(S) is part of the BJP’s efforts to reconfigure its electoral strategy in various states, both for the forthcoming Assembly polls in five states and the imminent general election. The JD(S), under the leadership of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, has affirmed its alliance with the NDA and emphasized its collaboration with the saffron party to challenge the Congress in Karnataka during the Lok Sabha polls.

Syed Shafiullah, the Senior State Vice President of JD(S), decided to resign from the party due to the JD(S)’s decision to form an alliance with the BJP. In his resignation letter, he expressed his commitment to the party’s secular principles and cited a previous instance when the JD(S) had aligned with the BJP to form the state government. He also noted his previous decision to stay outside the party during that period.

It’s worth mentioning that the JD(S) had previously formed coalition governments with both the BJP and Congress independently, with Kumaraswamy serving as chief minister for 20 months from January 2006 and 14 months from May 2018, respectively.

Shafiullah explained his resignation by stating, “Since the party’s senior leaders are now choosing to align with the BJP, I have no choice but to submit my resignation to the party’s Senior Vice President Office of the State and also my Primary Membership of the Party.”

According to a report by Deccan Herald, several other prominent figures, including former minister N M Nabi, former New Delhi representative Mohid Altaf, youth wing president NM Noor, and former minority wing chief Nasir Hussain Ustad, are also leaving the regional party.

Jaipur: the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command has dealt a significant blow to former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia by excluding her from two crucial committees for the upcoming Rajasthan elections. The announcement was made by Rajasthan BJP State President CP Joshi on Thursday. The committees in question are the manifesto committee and the election management committee for the upcoming Rajasthan assembly polls.

Notably absent from the list were the names of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and any of her prominent supporters, fueling renewed speculations that the BJP high command has deliberately chosen to proceed with the upcoming assembly elections without Raje’s involvement.

This exclusion comes as a major setback for Vasundhara Raje and her loyalists, who had been actively demonstrating their support for the last two years and demanding her declaration as the Chief Ministerial face for the upcoming elections.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has been appointed as the Chairman of the Manifesto Committee, while Narayan Pancharia will lead the Election Management Committee. The Rajasthan elections are just four months away, and attention now turns to whether the BJP will find an alternative role for Raje. Nonetheless, this move is a significant jolt for Raje and her dedicated followers.

The Manifesto Committee, chaired by Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, includes MPs Ghanshyam Tiwari and Kirorilal Meena, along with National Ministers Alka Gurjar, Prabhulal Saini, and Rakhi Rathod as co-convenors. Meanwhile, the Election Management Committee is led by Narayan Panchariya, with co-convenors like Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, CM Meena, Kanhaiyalal Bairwa, Rajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Anand Sharma.

In response to inquiries about Vasundhara Raje’s role, the state president emphasized the active participation of numerous senior leaders in the party’s campaign. State party in-charge Arun Singh avoided clarifying Raje’s role but acknowledged that all senior leaders would be involved in campaigning.

Party’s state president CP Joshi and state in-charge Arun Singh stated that these committee appointments were made following the instructions of national president J P Nadda. They expressed hope that the state would benefit from the experience of both committees in the upcoming elections.

The move to exclude Vasundhara Raje from these key committees comes after she was recently assigned the role of National Vice President within the party. This decision, occurring in an election year, was interpreted as a signal that the high command aimed to keep Raje away from Rajasthan. In response, Raje engaged in discussions with key leaders during a two-day visit to Delhi.

The strained relationship between Raje and the party’s high command traces back to 2014. During the tenure of Home Minister Amit Shah as the national president of the BJP and Raje as the chief minister, conflicts between the two leaders were common. Following the BJP’s defeat in Rajasthan in 2018, Raje’s absence from crucial party events became noticeable. The high command’s intentions became evident when Rajendra Rathore was appointed the Leader of the Opposition in place of Raje.

This development marks the first time in decades that the BJP refrained from announcing its chief ministerial candidate in Rajasthan. Vasundhara Raje’s strong association with the BJP in the state and her significant support base among MLAs and MPs have raised concerns that sidelining her might lead to backlash from both Raje and her supporters. This raises the crucial question of whether Prime Minister Modi alone can bolster the BJP’s influence in Rajasthan, especially in light of Chief Minister Gehlot’s efforts to solidify his position through populist initiatives.

Meanwhile, Raje’s loyalists note that while her exclusion is surprising, other senior leaders like Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, opposition leader Rajendra Rathore, former BJP chief, and current party President C P Joshi have also been left out. One of Raje’s supporters pointed out, “Nobody can ignore Vasundhara Raje; after all, she is the most popular mass leader of the BJP in Rajasthan, so wait and watch.”

The announcement of the campaign committee is still pending, serving as the third major committee after the resolution declaration and the election management committee. Traditionally, the coordinator or chairman of the campaign committee becomes the official face of the party for the election. Experts caution against premature speculation without the announcement of this committee.

Bengaluru: Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H D Deve Gowda announced on Tuesday that the party would be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections independently. However, he also hinted at keeping the option of alliances open, given the recent friendly gestures exchanged between JD(S) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Speaking at a news conference, Deve Gowda asserted that the party would carefully assess the prevailing political situation before making any decisions for the future.

The veteran leader further revealed that he was not invited to a meeting of opposition parties held earlier in the month in Bengaluru. It was disclosed that a section of the Congress in Karnataka was opposed to his participation, despite Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressing his desire to have him present at the event.

Recently, H D Kumaraswamy, the former Chief Minister and son of Deve Gowda, had hinted at the possibility of JD(S) working alongside the BJP to challenge the Congress government in Karnataka on various issues. This statement had sparked speculation about the potential collaboration between the two parties in the upcoming polls.

The tension between JD(S) and BJP with the Congress escalated when both JD(S) and BJP legislators boycotted an Assembly session after ten BJP lawmakers were suspended for their alleged “indecent and disrespectful conduct” in the House.

Deve Gowda clarified that the party’s primary focus would be to contest independently in the Lok Sabha elections. He expressed confidence in JD(S)’s strength and stated that candidates would be fielded in areas where the party had considerable support, a decision that would be made in consultation with party workers.

Recalling past alliances, Deve Gowda mentioned how JD(S) had extended support to the Congress-led government during Manmohan Singh’s tenure. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, JD(S) and Congress had formed an alliance, but they were outperformed by the BJP, which secured 25 out of 28 seats in Karnataka.

When questioned about his absence from the opposition parties’ meeting on July 17 in Bengaluru, Deve Gowda explained that certain Congress leaders from Karnataka had opposed his presence at the event. While Nitish Kumar intended to invite him, local Congress leaders were against it.

The recent Assembly elections in Karnataka did not favor JD(S) as they managed to win only 19 out of 224 seats. Despite this setback, Deve Gowda expressed unwavering confidence in the party’s resilience, asserting that it would continue to exist and thrive beyond the upcoming elections.

Gowda shared that a meeting of 19 MLAs, seven MLCs, and other top party leaders was held recently to strategize campaign programs in various districts. These plans would be finalized after the return of H D Kumaraswamy from his overseas trip.