MYSURU: With seven rebel JD(S) legislators planning to join the Congress, JD(S) leaders Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy have started looking for winnable candidates to retain the constituencies represented by them. Keen on retaining their control over Vokkaliga dominated constituencies in old Mysuru region, they have started knocking on the doors of prospective candidates in Srirangapatna and Nagamangala. The JD(S), which has been projected to win 65 seats according to an internal survey, thinks that it can do better in Mysuru region.
This prompted JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy to call on Ravindra Srikantaiah, who quit the Congress along with S M Krishna, and invite him to join the party in December.
Although there were rumours that Srikantaiah will join the BJP to contest from Sriranagapatna, the JD(S) leaders have reached out to him assuring party ticket to defeat rebel JD (S) MLA Ramesh Babu Bandisidde Gowda who has identified with Zameer Ahmed camp. Srikantaiah lost by a narrow margin in 2008 and 2013 assembly elections to Ramesh Babu.
The JD(S) has also managed to bring on board former MLAs Suresh Gowda and L R Shivarame Gowda to take on rebel MLA N Chaluvarayaswamy in Nagamangala.
The JD(S) leaders assured ticket to Suresh Gowda and held a convention to attack contractor-turned politician Chaluvarayarswamy, once a trusted aide of Kumaraswamy.
The JD(S) wants to win all seven constituencies in Mandya and is looking for a prospective candidate in Mandya assembly constituency too.
JD(S) that launched ‘Kumara Parva’ and a mammoth rally from Chamundeshwari constituency on Wednesday, is keen on winning at least 9 out of 11 seats in Mysuru district. They have shifted their focus to Chamundeshwari and reserved constituencies where Vokkaligas are prominent.Though the untimely death of Nayaka community leader and JD(S) MLA S Chikka Madu is a major blow to the JD(S), it has brought in A H Vishwanath and is looking for a Nayaka community candidate.
Kumaraswamy has decided to reach out to all constituencies in Tumakuru, Chikkabalapurm , Kolar , Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Hassan and Chamarajnagar.
The JD(S) leaders are hopeful of organising Vokkaligas behind the JD(S) which has been out of power for the past 10 years. The party leaders are dependent on charisma, emotional appeal and hard work of both Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy.
GM Vishwanath to contest from Kanakapura
Bengaluru: D M Vishwanath of JD(S) is going to be pitted against Congress MLA D K Shivakumar in Kanakapura in the upcoming assembly elections. His name was finalised after a party meeting attended by supremo Deve Gowda, who announced his name as the candidate. Vishwanath had lost to Shivakumar in the 2013 elections by 7,000 votes.