The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will contest elections in 20 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka. The party has already tied up HD Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (Secular) for the May 12 polls.

All 224 constituencies in the State will go to the polls in a single-phase election on May 12. Results will be declared on May 15.

G Srinivas, BSP’s South Karnataka in-charge, told reporters here that the BSP had entered into a pre-poll alliance with the JD(S) and as part of this, they would contest in 20 seats.

Hari Ram, the party’s North Karnataka in-charge, said the BSP is hopeful of winning at least 10 Assembly segments.

He said the BSP’s alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh had yielded results in by-elections to the high-profile Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats.

An alliance with the JD(S) in Karnataka will also yield good results, he said, adding that the senior partner could secure an additional 35-40 seats in the State thanks to the BSP’s vote.

To a query on the probable BSP candidates in the State, he said the Karnataka unit had sent a list of nominees to party supremo Mayawati. The names of the candidates will be announced within a week, he said.

After the elections, Srinivas said, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy would head a government, of which the BSP would be a part.

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