LS polls: Talks on between BJP and JD(S) to unite, but Cong will win 15-20 seats in K’taka, says Siddaramaiah

PTI, Jul 25, 2023, 3:53 PM IST

Claiming that BJP and JD(S) are holding discussions to unitedly fight the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday asserted that whether they join hands or not, the Congress will certainly win 15-20 seats in the state. There are 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. There has been some speculation about the possibility of JD(S) joining the NDA ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

”I don’t know, they are holding discussions. If they unite, there is no need for us to worry. Even if they unite or not, we (Congress) will certainly win 15-20 seats (Lok Sabha) this time in Karnataka,” Siddaramaiah said in response to a question about the possibility of BJP and JD(S) uniting for Lok Sabha polls. JD(S) leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on July 21 said his party has decided to work together as an opposition with the BJP, in the interest of the state, and there is still time for Parliamentary polls to talk about it. The BJP swept the 2019 Lok Sabha polls by winning 25 seats, while an independent backed by it won in one seat. The Congress and JD(S) won one seat each. In the elections to the 224-member Assembly held in May, the Congress bagged 135 seats, while the BJP secured 66 and the JD(S) 19.