Kar BJP President denies strategic alliance with J(D)S in Ullal poll

Bangalore, May 19 (UNI) Exuding confidence in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning the Ullal Assembly seat in the June Two byelection, BJP Karnataka President D V Sadananda Gowda today denied his party had struck 'strategic alliance' with the coalition partner Janata Dal (Secular) to keep away Congress from victory.

Speaking to newsmen here, he said that there was nothing wrong if JD(S) chose to field its candidate in the byelection, caused following death of Congress member U T Farid recently. However, the BJP leadership expected that the JD(S) would reciprocate the party's gesture of not fielding candidate in the byelection to the Chamundeswari Assembly constituency, he felt. There was no threat to the coalition set up following this development, he added.

Replying to queries, he said the party would win on its own in the byelection as the constituency was the stronghold of BJP from the beginning. Besides, the voters had also felt the need for reflecting nationality in the coastal region following increased underworld activities, he added.

He said the Congress was a divided house in the district and the candidate had imposed himself on the party as its nominee. He urged the voters to be wary of leaders intimidating voters on caste lines.

The constituency comprised 1.60 lakh voters including 85300 Hindus, 57,700 Muslims and 16700 Christians.

UNI