States » SouthPosted at: Nov 15 2026 8:04PM


BJP determined to contest Hiriyur bypoll, Ashoka confident of persuading JD(S)

Bengaluru, Nov 15 (UNI) The BJP has staked its claim to the Hiriyur Assembly seat ahead of the by-election, with senior party leader and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka expressing confidence that the party would persuade its NDA ally JD(S) to concede the constituency.
Making the BJP's position clear, Ashoka said the state unit had decided that the party should contest the seat and that he would personally take up the matter with JD(S) leader and union Minister H D Kumaraswamy.
"I will speak to Kumaraswamy. I am confident that our central leaders will convince them and ensure that the seat is given to the BJP," he said, signalling that negotiations between the two alliance partners would be crucial in deciding the candidate.
Ashoka, however, maintained that the final decision would rest with the BJP's central leadership and that the state unit would abide by its direction.
The BJP's claim assumes significance as JD(S) has also indicated its interest in contesting the seat, setting the stage for negotiations within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Karnataka.
The competing claims come at a time when the two parties are attempting to strengthen their coordination ahead of the forthcoming Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat elections.
On the question of an alliance for the local body polls, Ashoka said there was broad support within both parties for continuing their partnership, although opinions differed across regions.
He cited varying political circumstances in Mandya, North Karnataka, the coastal belt and Kolar, and said the views of grassroots workers would be taken into consideration before arriving at a decision.
The BJP and JD(S) are planning to constitute a state-level coordination committee this week, followed by district-level committees to assess the ground situation and gather feedback from party workers.
The district committees would submit their recommendations to the state leadership, which would subsequently convey its assessment to the central leadership for a final decision, Ashoka said.
The Hiriyur Assembly constituency in Chitradurga district fell vacant following the death of Congress MLA and former minister D Sudhakar.
The by-election is likely to test the BJP-JD(S) understanding, with the seat emerging as an early point of negotiation between the two allies. While the BJP is keen to establish its claim, JD(S) is also seeking a role in determining the NDA's electoral strategy in the constituency.
UNI BDN
Tags: #BJP determined to contest Hiriyur bypoll# Ashoka confident of persuading JD(S)
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