‘BJP didn’t stick to coalition dharma’

•Is the alliance in Karnataka on or over?

Senior BJP leaders have stated on record that there will be an alliance between the two parties for the Karnataka Assembly polls, but they have not followed it up by starting a discussion on sharing of seats. Instead, the BJP has given a go-by to all norms of “coalition dharma” by unilaterally announcing its candidates for 136 of 224 seats without talking to us.

•What is the quantum of seats which would be acceptable to JD(U)?

We had an alliance with them in 1999 and 224. The JD(U) contested 25 seats during the last assembly elections and won five of them. We could sit down with BJP leaders and discuss our mutual claims.

•When do you think the current stalemate would end?

As a major partner, the onus is on the BJP to sort out the matter. However, a division of votes would benefit the Congress.

•Does poaching pose a threat to alliance?

•Would the problems in Karnataka polls affect NDA?

As I have said, developments in Karnataka polls are not in tune with coalition norms. We have decided to discuss the issue first in our parliamentary party and later in the national executive.

‘Our state leaders want to go it alone’

Yeddyurappa

•Is a BJP-JD (U) tie-up on? JD (U) national president Sharad Yadav has threatened to walk out of the NDA due to the Karnataka stalemate.

We’re confident of getting an absolute majority on our own. But since we are a national party, we’ll abide by what our national leadership decides. I have asked the JD(U) state leadership to give us a list of their strongholds. They have an MLA; their state president Somashekhar is there. We’re ready to accommodate them, but let them first come up with the list.

•How many seats are you ready to part with? Two?

We’ll not like to discuss the numbers here. It all depends on their (JD-U) strengths. We’ve told our president about the ground situation here. Our national leaders, including general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Arun Jaitley, are here for talks. We’ll arrive at an agreement shortly.

•Is there a deadline for the seat-sharing talks?

This again depends on the actual political situation in the state.

•You talk about coalition dharma, yet poach on JD (U) leaders?

If you are talking about Basavraj Bommai (son of JD-U founder S.R. Bommai), he would have joined the Congress, had we refused to take him. Same holds true for others joining our party. Various leaders quitting the JD(U) have joined the Congress and the JD(S), apart from the BJP. So why single out the BJP? Should we turn them away so that our rivals (the Congress, the JD-S) get strengthened?

•Doesn’t the Karnataka stalemate, largely due to your intransigence, threaten the NDA at the national level?

I’m an ordinary worker of the party. It’s true that our state leaders want to go it alone, but we’re not a regional party. The decision of the national leadership will be respected by all.