BENGALURU: JDS is all set to send a strong signal to ‘rebel’ MLAs preparing to quit the party ahead of the 2023 assembly polls, with former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy kickstarting a campaign to introduce alternative faces for the constituencies. To start with, he is targeting Gubbi in Tumakuru, where former minister and MLA S R Srinivas was reportedly vocal about the party being ‘family-centric’ and has already indicated that he may join the Congress.
On October 25, Kumaraswamy is expected to take part in a rally organised by the party’s ticket aspirant B S Nagaraju, husband of former Tumakuru Zilla Panchayat member B S Gayathri Devi of Chandrashekarapura. The rally will be a launchpad for Nagaraju as the 2023 election candidate, as all district-level leaders and party functionaries have been invited, except Srinivas.
Similarly, in some constituencies in Old Mysuru, besides Kolar where JDS MLAs are ready to quit, Kumaraswamy has found alternative candidates who will be introduced through rallies in a phased manner, sources informed TNIE. He had claimed this during the party’s ‘Janata Parva’ workshop recently.
“There are many who want to leave the party, but are afraid of Kumaraswamy pitching alternatives to defeat them if they joined the Congress. Rival parties, especially BJP, have not made public their moves yet,” sources added.
During the 2018 assembly polls, BJP candidate Bettaswamy had polled 46,000 votes and party rebel candidate Dilip Kumar had garnered 30,000 votes, which are together more than the 55,000 votes that JDS MLA Srinivas polled.
Nagaraju, who is holding the rally, told TNIE that he is a strong contender for the Gubbi seat.
Srinivas, meanwhile, is unperturbed by the upcoming rally, but is camping in Gubbi to stategise how to ensure that it is a flop show, sources said. “I have not been invited to the rally. Kumaraswamy did not even speak to me when I attended the baby shower for his daughter-in-law recently,” said four-time MLA Srinivas, who debuted as an independent.