Janata Dal (Secular), who attended the meeting called by the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee To decide on the name of the United Opposition as the presidential candidate, the United Opposition on Wednesday indicated that it would support the ruling NDA’s Draupadi Murmu.
Underlining that this should not be seen as an endorsement BJPJD(S) leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said: “Draupadi Murmu already has enough support and doesn’t need our support, but she has still sought our support, and it is a sign of her goodness.” Is.”
Kumaraswamy also said that Murmu, who looks set to win next month’s election, had called up former prime minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda twice to seek support. “She also wanted to come to Bengaluru personally, but there is no need for her to do so to seek support. I think Murmu has already won the election.
Kumaraswamy said he also understood Murmu’s “journey of life, his background, the struggles he went through, his rise from a Dalit community”.
The JD(S) has two members in parliament – Deve Gowda in the Rajya Sabha and his grandson Prajwal Revanna in the Lok Sabha – as well as 30 legislators in Karnataka who are eligible to vote in the presidential election.
Kumaraswamy also said that the JD(S) supported Murmu instead of the opposition candidate. Yashwant SinhaThere was no indication of the party forging an alliance with the BJP or being a “BJP’s B team”, as alleged by the rival Congress party in Karnataka.
Kumaraswamy said the JD(S) was following Murmu’s credentials rather than his party union.
Since the breakup of the JD(S)-Congress alliance in 2019, the JD(S) has often been accused by the Congress of growing close to the BJP.
The JD(S), which has tied up with the BJP in the past in a post-poll arrangement, is keen to maintain a non-aligned identity for the 2023 assembly elections. She sees this as her best bet to win as many seats as possible, leaving her in a position of power if the election again ends to a close.