JD(S) is trying to rope in two retired IPS officers H T Sangliana and K C Ramamurthy by offering them tickets to contest from Bangalore Central and Bangalore North Lok Sabha constituencies respectively.
Sangliana represented Bangalore North in Lok Sabha as a BJP member after the 2004 General Elections.
However, he lost the subsequent election when he contested on a Congress ticket from Bangalore Central.
Ramamurthy, a retired IGP, has been an aspirant for Bangalore North constituency.
When contacted, Sangliana confirmed that former prime minister and JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda spoke to him over telephone on Wednesday and invited him to join his party.
“Gowda also offered me a ticket to contest from Bangalore Central constituency where I lost to BJP’s P C Mohan by a margin of around 55,000 votes in 2009 Lok Sabha polls. I have told him that a decision will be taken on March 24 or 25 after consulting my friends, well-wishers and followers. So far, I have not given any commitment to Gowda that I will be contesting on JD(S) ticket from Bangalore Central constituency,” he said.
Asked whether he has informed the party high command about his wish to contest from Bangalore Central, Sangliana said they know it very well.
“In 2009, I lost the election by a narrow margin due to problems within the Congress. This time, I was very much confident of securing the ticket... however, I was given a raw deal,” Sangliana said.
On he treading the path of former Union minister C K Jaffer Sharief, the retired IPS officer said while Sharief has already made up his mind to join the JD(S) and contest from Mysore-Kodagu constituency, he would decide his future course of action on March 24 or 25.
It is learnt that Ramamurthy also spoke to Gowda on Wednesday. However, he was not available for comments.