BRS has no plans to contest Karnataka Assembly polls: Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru (PTI): JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday said the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), led by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, has no intention to contest Assembly polls in Karnataka, but is thinking about fielding candidates in a couple of constituencies in border areas for the next Lok Sabha polls.
The former Chief Minister said the BRS may support JD(S) in "15-20 Telugu- speaking" Assembly constituencies in the State bordering Telangana, where they may have influence.
"They (BRS) will not contest the Assembly polls, by going with them, we want to join hands in their fight aimed at finding a permanent solution to issues faced by farmers, dalits and other weaker sections. Rather than building an alternative force against the party in power at the Centre (BJP) it is to find solutions to the issues faced by the nation," Kumaraswamy said.
"I like his (Rao) thinking and so both of us together in the days to come will work for the downtrodden sections...we will work together on an issue-based partnership," he told reporters here.
Seeking to expand its electoral footprint beyond Telangana, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Wednesday changed its name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), in the presence of Kumaraswamy, with Chief Minister Rao eyeing a national role ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Kumaraswamy said Telangana Chief Minister has further agreed to support JD(S) and its candidates in the Telugu-speaking areas in Karnataka where his party has influence.
"In about 15-20 constituencies, they may influence, in my opinion, in Telugu- speaking belts in the districts of Kolar, (and) Hyderabad Karnataka region," he said.
Reiterating that BRS has no intention to contest the Assembly polls in Karnataka, Kumaraswamy, in response to a question, said but for Lok Sabha polls, they have plans to field candidates in a couple of constituencies in the border areas with Telangana.
"They have plans to field candidates in about 100-150 constituencies (LS across the country)...but all that will be based on the national picture that emerges in the days to come," he said.
Ruling out any intention to go to national politics, Kumaraswamy said his strength and fight is in Karnataka, but the 2023 Assembly poll results here may set a stage for bringing in certain changes in the national politics.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
