KCR's BRS to back Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka Assembly elections

Describing the Janata Dal (Secular) a natural ally, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi has decided to throw its weight fully behind the ex-PM H D Deve Gowda-led party in the coming elections in Karnataka

Describing the Janata Dal (Secular) a "natural ally", the Bharat Rashtra Samithi has decided to throw its weight fully behind the former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led party in the coming Assembly elections in Karnataka, BRS sources said on Sunday.

Telangana's governing party was earlier weighing its option of fielding its candidates in some districts bordering Telangana in Kalyana-Karnataka (earlier known as Hyderabad-Karnataka) as part of its strategy to expand nationally but that plan is no longer on the table now.

"JD(S) is our natural ally and we will go with the party. We want to ensure that the JD(S) is successful in the elections", a senior leader of BRS, headed by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. also known as KCR, told PTI.

Sources said KCR would definitely campaign for JD(S) candidates, particularly in segments where "Telugu-speaking people are densely populated", as a BRS leader put it.

Assembly elections are due in Karnataka by May.

JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata last week and requested the TMC boss to campaign in the Karnataka Assembly polls.

"Mamata Banerjee has agreed to Kumaraswamy's request to campaign in Karnataka. She has asked him to send her a schedule", a JD(S) leader had said after the meeting in the West Bengal capital.

Kumaraswamy had attended the meeting of opposition parties convened by Banerjee in Kolkata in January 2019 ahead of the Lok Sabha poll that year.