Bengaluru: The alliance between BJP and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) parties will continue in the forthcoming by-elections to three Assembly seats in the State, the schedule of which is yet to be announced.

Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP election strategist and Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK), who is also the State JD(S) President, met in New Delhi on Wednesday and held discussions in this regard.

Following the election of Kumaraswamy, Basavaraj Bommai (both former Chief Ministers) and E. Tukaram to the Lok Sabha in the recent polls, the Assembly seats held by them — Channapatna, Shiggaon and Sandur respectively — have fallen vacant, with their resignation as MLAs, necessitating the by-election.

After the discussion, both Shah and HDK are learnt to have arrived on a consensus to leave Channapatna for JD(S), while BJP will field its candidates in Shiggaon and Sandur.

Like Lok Sabha elections, where the alliance emerged as a formidable force winning 19 seats (BJP – 17 and JD(S) – 2) in the State, both the leaders have decided to repeat the performance in the by-elections too and win all the three seats.

During the general elections to Legislative Assembly held in May 2023, JD(S) had won Channapatna seat, BJP in Haveri and Congress in Sandur.