TUMAKURU: With the Congress clearing the way in Tumkur under the seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming general election, and Bangalore North Lok Sabha constituency looking dicey, JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda is expected to contest from here. The party leaders and the cadre are gung-ho about this and have even begun making preparation.
In Tumakuru Rural Assembly constituency, local leaders have already started campaigning that Deve Gowda is most likely to contest from Tumakuru. “We have brought pressure on Deve Gowda to contest from here and he will win with a thumping majority”, former MLA H Ningappa told to reporters at a press conference on Sunday.
Tumakuru Rural JD(S) MLA D C Gowrishankar even threw parties for his supporters on Sunday night in the expectation that Deve Gowda will be contesting from Tumkur.
Former minister B Satyanarayana told Express that he too is hopeful of Gowda picking Tumkur Lok Sabha seat as it will help the party get the votes of all people, irrespective of caste, religion and party inclination.
A meeting of senior Congress and JD(S) leaders was held in Bengaluru on Sunday to discuss Gowda’s contest. However, coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah was not present, sources said. As Bangalore North LS seat is mostly urban voters and since JD(S) does not have much base there, the JD(S) leadership including Gowda wants to play it safe, the source said.
“If Hassan is going to be tough for Prajwal, with A Manju joining the BJP on Sunday, Gowda may shift him to Tumakuru and himself contest from Hassan,” a former JD(S) MLA hinted.