New Delhi: With party workers claiming a “secret pact” between the BJP and Janata Dal (S) to ensure the defeat of chief minister Siddaramaiah and his son Yathindra, the Congress’ jibe last month that the Janata Dal (Secular) was nothing more than the ‘B’ Team of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to have come true in at least parts.

Siddaramaiah will contest from the Chamundeshwari seat, after having vacated the Varuna seat, which he won in 2008 and 2013 to his son Yathindra. In Chamundeshwari, Siddaramaiah will square off against his former aide GT Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal (not to be confused with party patriarch HD Deve Gowda), while in Varuna, Yathindra is set to contest against Vijayendra, the son of the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate, BS Yeddyurappa.

The BJP is yet to announced Vijayendra’s candidature, although party insiders say this is merely a formality.

The proxy war between Siddaramaiah and Yeddyurappa, through their sons, in Varuna has been much talked about. However, workers of all three parties claim the BJP is likely to field a weak candidate in Chamundeshwari, to ensure Deve Gowda’s victory.

In return, they say, the JD (S) will return the favour in Varuna to ensure Vijayendra’s victory. A senior JD(S) leader said that while he is not aware of any pact in Chamundeshwari, the party’s candidate in Varuna hasn’t been very active since Vijayendra landed up in the constituency.

A senior BJP leader would only say that the party would put up strong candidates in both constituencies.

State Congress working president Dinesh Gundu Rao said the pact was not secret at all. “We had received information that they had held talks and it is not just these two seats, such pacts are being made across the state by the parties to ensure their victory.”