BELAGAVI: The pathetic show by the JDS in the bypolls to Hangal and Sindagi constituencies, despite party top leaders — H D Deve Gowda, H D Kumaraswamy and Prajwal Revanna — camping in Sindagi constituency during campaigning, has come as a massive setback to the party leadership ahead of the next Assembly elections scheduled for 2023.
The JDS, which had won the Sindagi seat in the previous election, could neither retain the seat nor bag a sizable number of the traditional Congress votes to play some role in the defeat of the latter. Although Sindagi MLA M C Managuli, whose death necessitated the bypoll, hailed from the JDS, the results brought to fore the fact that Managuli had been able to win the seat last time based on his popularity and image in the constituency and not as a leader of the party.
After the bypoll results came out, JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy said he never expected this and that the party had to field candidates as per the demands of its workers. Much against predictions of political pundits that the JDS may bag a good share of the traditional Congress votes in both Sindagi and Hanagal to help the BJP, the party candidates were no match for their opponents. Given the poor show, party leaders in Sindagi and Hanagal feel that the JDS will not field its candidates in the next Assembly polls.
I am still alive, will tour N K’taka in 2023: Gowda
Bengaluru: Despite the party candidates losing their deposits in Sindagi and Hanagal, party supremo H D Deve Gowda and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy claimed they were not disheartened by the results. “I am still alive. For the 2023 polls, I will travel more to North Karnataka to organise the party. Kumaraswamy will oversee the South,” Gowda told reporters in New Delhi.