Realignment of political forces in Karnataka

JD(U) withdraws its candidate for Legislative Council in favour of JD(S).

In what could be a realignment of political forces, the Janata Dal (U) has withdrawn its candidate for the Karnataka Legislative Council in favour of the Janata Dal (S) candidate as a goodwill gesture.

Not far behind in such matters, the Janata Dal (S), headed by former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, has invited Janata Dal (U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to Karnataka for his Kisan Rally to be held in "the near future".

Both incidents are significant since the two Janata Dals had earlier split over the question of support to the NDA government in 1999. The undivided Janata Parivar had been the ruling party in Karnataka for some time in the 1980s.

When senior leader Sharad Yadav was elected Janata Dal (U) president in April, he had said that he would make efforts to bring all the splinter Janata groups together.

"We do not want one seat to come in the way of our friendship," Yadav said, reflecting his seriousness in bringing the two Janata Parivar parties closer.

He said the JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had appreciated the gesture and thanked him for withdrawing the JD(U) candidate in favour of JD(S).

According to sources in the JD(U), since the main bone of contention between the two parties had been support to the BJP, there was nothing in the way of their coming together.

"Since JD(S) and the BJP are now in a coalition in Karnataka, these ideological differences no longer exist," said a senior office-bearer of the JD(U).

Yadav said Gowda had planned a Kisan Rally in Karnataka in the near future and would invite him as also Bihar and Orissa Chief Ministers Nitish Kumar and Naveen Patnaik to the gathering.

The decision to withdraw the JD(U) candidate was taken after a meeting between Yadav and Gowda in Delhi on May 23.

The two leaders have met often after Yadav took over as JD(U) chief.

The first meeting took place when Kumaraswamy forged an alliance with the BJP for government formation in the state.

The two leaders met in Bangalore early this month too. Yadav is also understood to have met senior Janata leaders S R Bommai and J H Patel during his visit to Bangalore.