In a development that could be perceived as being a jolt to the Congress-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka, JD(S) general secretary Danish Ali joined the BSP on Saturday.
Ali had been considered the 'Delhi face' of the JD(S) for years and was considered close to party patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda. Ali had, in fact, been the face of the JD(S) in Delhi for over 22 years.
Ali had played a key role in stitching together the Congress-JD(S) tie-up in the wake of the fractured mandate in the Karnataka assembly polls last May. Ali was also involved in negotiations that resulted in the seat-sharing agreement between the Congress and JD(S) for the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka. The Congress would contest 20 seats in Karnataka, while the JD(S) will contest from eight seats.
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Some media reports indicate Ali will contest from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh on a BSP ticket, where the JD(S) has no presence. Ali was also said to be involved in sealing a tie-up between the JD(S) and BSP before the Karnataka elections. The BSP supported the formation of the Congress-JD(S) alliance, but its lone MLA quit as a minister in October.
Interestingly JD(S) sources insisted Ali had left the party on "good terms". They claimed Ali left the party as part of a "well-thought-out" plan as he had been keen on contesting in Uttar Pradesh, but could not do so on a Congress or JD(S) ticket. The sources described the exit of Ali as an "understanding" between BSP and JD(S).
(With additional inputs from Prathima Nandakumar)
