BENGALURU: The JDS, which has been hunting for strong candidates to contest the December 10 Legislative Council elections, has found a young KAS officer who is keen on contesting the polls from the Tumakuru seat.
Special Land Acquisition Officer with the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board, Anil Kumar R (41), who had applied for voluntary retirement scheme two months ago, might make the electoral plunge if his application is accepted by the government by November 23.
If it is not accepted, then the regional party will field his father Ramanjanaiah, a former ZP member and retired Chief Accounts Officer, party sources said. This comes at a time when Vokkaliga leader from Tumakuru and sitting JDS MLC BEML Kantharaju has been cozying up to the Congress with an eye on contesting the 2023 Assembly polls from Turuvekere.
As the Congress is expected to field MLA K N Rajanna’s son Rajendra, who hails from the ST Nayaka community, from Tumakuru, the JDS wants to ensure his defeat by fielding a strong candidate. Rajanna had claimed that he had ensured the defeat of former PM H D Deve Gowda in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Like Rajanna, Anil Kumar too hails from the ST Nayaka community. When contacted, Anil, a 2008 batch KAS officer, said, “Me and my family will sit together and take a call on who should take the political plunge,” he said. Apart from Anil Kumar, two of his brothers, brother-in-law and sister are also KAS officers.