BENGALURU: Even as Kannada superstar Upendra is preparing to enter the electoral battle with his newly floated Karnataka Pragnyavanta Janata Paksha, another Kannada film actor, Rangayana Ranghu, has expressed his readiness to take the political plunge as a JD(S) candidate in the 2018 Assembly election.
Raghu, who has essayed mostly comic roles in over 2,000 Kannada films, including Mylari, Gaalipata, Doddamane Huduga, Duniya and Cyanide, has conveyed his willingness to contest the election if party leaders H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy decide to field him.
“My family members have been JD(S) loyalists for a long time now. I too want to contribute to the betterment of society. My well-wishers in Madhugiri and Pavagada constituenices in Tumakuru district have been urging me to contest elections. I am committed to serving the people of my area. But it all depends on our party senior leaders HD Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy,” Raghu said reacting to the buzz about his political entry. He is said to be keen to contest from Madhugiri.
JD(S) ready with first list of candidates
JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy has said the first list of JD(S) candidates for 2018 Assembly election is ready and it will be released soon. “We have finalised the first list of about 140 to 150 candidates, which will be cleared by party supremo H D Deve Gowda soon,” he said. Kumaraswamy denied reports of any secret poll pact with any political party and reiterated his party’s determination to come to power on its own strength.
Speaking to reporters in Basavakalyan, the former chief minister said Narendra Modi government at the Centre and Siddaramaiah government in the state have been playing with the lives of farmers. “Both governments have failed to ensure fair price for farm produce and the crop insurance scheme has failed to provide succour for farmers as it is favourable only to insurance companies,” Kumaraswamy alleged.