BENGALURU: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s wife and former MLA Anitha Kumaraswamy is likely to contest the assembly bypoll from Ramanagara constituency as a JD(S) candidate. The bypoll dates are yet to be announced. Sources said that during the party workers’ meeting in Ramanagara on Wednesday, local leaders urged Kumaraswamy to field Anitha and assured him of working for her victory.
The party workers have also decided to approach JD (S) supremo HD Deve Gowda in this regard. According to sources, the party has almost taken a decision to field her from the constituency, and a formal decision will be announced soon. In 2008, Anitha Kumaraswamy had won assembly election from Madhugiri in Tumakuru, and in 2012 elections, she lost to CP Yogeshwara in Channapatna.
Sources said Anitha was keen to contest from Channapatna in the last assembly elections. However, the party decided to field Kumaraswamy from both Ramanagara and Channapatna constituencies. He won both the seats, and hence vacated Ramanagara, necessitating bypoll. In Ramanagara, Kumaraswamy had won with a margin of over 22,000 votes, and it would not be difficult for the party to retain the seat. This time, Congress too will support the JD (S) candidate in Ramanagara. In Jamakandi in North Karnataka, the JD (S) will support Congress candidate in the bypoll. Bypoll was necessitated in Jamakandi after Congress MLA Siddu Nyamagouda died in an accident.
The BJP too has started preparations. On Wednesday, BJP leaders from Ramanagara met the party state president BS Yeddyurappa to discuss party strategy to defeat the JD (S) candidate.Sources said the party is likely to give the ticket to former minister CP Yogeshwar and Ramanagara district BJP president M Rudresh. Yogeshwar had contested recent assembly polls from Channapatna constituency as the BJP candidate.