Discussions on BJP-JD(S) LS poll understanding not yet final: Yediyurappa

Days after stating that BJP will have an understanding with former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S) for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, veteran leader and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday said discussions in this regard have not reached finality yet.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amith Shah, who are busy with other responsibilities, may discuss and decide on the issue in a couple of days.

"As Modiji is busy with other issues, most probably there may be discussion after a couple of days. Till now no discussions have taken place. We will have to wait and see," Yediyurappa said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "When I spoke earlier, things had not come to any finality. Even now there is no finality. Prime Minister, Amit Shah and other leaders will discuss and decide, until then we will have to wait. I feel as Modiji and others are busy today and tomorrow, discussions may happen in two to three days."

Yediyurappa on Friday said the BJP will have an understanding with JD(S) for the Lok Sabha elections, an announcement that shot up the political temperature in the State.

The veteran leader, who is also a BJP parliamentary board member, had said that as part of the poll understanding, the JD(S) will contest in four LS seats in Karnataka, which has a total of 28 constituencies.

However, on Saturday, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said discussions regarding BJP and his party contesting the Lok Sabha polls together are still in the initial phase.

The BJP had swept the 2019 LS polls in Karnataka by winning 25 seats, while an independent (Sumalatha Ambareesh from Mandya) backed by it won in one seat. The Congress and JD(S) won one seat each.