BENGALURU: JD(S) intends to get a head start in the 2018 Assembly elections by announcing the first list of candidates as early as end of next month.Addressing a press conference after the JD(S) core committee meeting on Monday, party state president H D Kumaraswamy said a convention would be held in the February end or the first week of March.
“The process for finalising the first list has begun. We are discussing names. We will release list of 105 names at the convention,” Kumaraswamy said.
He added that they were already holding discussions on suitable candidates from Hyderabad-Karnataka and Mumbai-Karnataka areas. “We are analysing results of the last elections and are looking for mistakes as we do not want to repeat them. Where there are three or four candidates in the running, we are talking to them and discussing issues. This is what Deve Gowda has advised us to do,” he added.
Kumaraswamy also said that only his elder brother H D Revanna and himself will contest elections from their family. “Already there is an image of the party saying it is a father-son party. We want to change this image. Therefore, only the two of us will contest. I was told by partymen that Anita Kumaraswamy should contest, but I have refused to consider it,” he said.
He added that those who are finalised in the list will attend a workshop where they will be instructed about campaigning methods and how to conduct themselves in public.
“There have been several instances where the behaviour of the elected representatives in public has made them lose faith. This workshop will tell them about what issues are to be raised at local and national levels and our party’s solution for it. They will be instructed not to air their personal grievances,” he said.
He said no decision has been taken whether they would contest in Gundlupet and Nanjangud bypolls, saying that the partymen were divided upon whether to field candidates in both the constituencies or save their finances for 2018 elections.