CHIKKAMAGALURU: Former legislator YSV Datta on Sunday said that he will contest the May 10 Assembly elections as an independent candidate from the Kadur constituency. This comes in the wake of Datta not being given a ticket by Congress. Datta had recently quit the JDS and joined Congress. Datta had lost the 2018 polls on a JDS ticket from Kadur.
After the Congress denied him a ticket in its second list and fielded KS Anand from Kadur, the former MLA convened a ‘Swabhimani’ meeting on Sunday which was attended by a large number of his supporters.
On Thursday, a large number of Datta’s supporters thronged his residence at Yagati and urged him to contest the election as an Independent or as an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate. Datta had told them that he would decide his future course of action at the Swabhimani meet in Kadur on Sunday.
Thousands of his supporters descended on NH 206 in Kadur town on Sunday and took out a procession. Datta demonstrated a power of strength by taking out a mega road show in which over 6,000 of his supporters took part. He offered puja at the Venkateshwara Swamy Temple and proceeded to the Venkateshwara Kalyana Mantapa, where the meeting was held. The venue was fully packed with thousands of his supporters and LED screens were installed outside as the numbers swelled. Datta spread out a towel and urged those present at the meeting to contribute towards his election expenses.