BENGALURU: Even as BJP national general secretary and Karnataka in-charge, Arun Singh, called the JDS a “sinking ship” and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy reacted strongly to it, a few JDS leaders have reportedly started making their political moves ahead of the election to 25 Legislative Council seats from urban local bodies to be held next year. The term of 25 MLCs ends in January 2022.
In the Old Mysuru region — where the JDS is politically strong — MLC BEML Kantharaju, a Vokkaliga leader from Tumakuru, has already started holding parleys with Congress bigwigs. “I will have to shape my career and I have already met former chief minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC president D K Shivakumar and former DyCM Dr G Parameshwara,” he said.
Kantharaju said that he will not be contesting the MLC polls, and instead “sacrifice” the seat to the Congress as he is nurturing hopes of entering the Assembly from Turuvekere. His exit from the JDS may set the ball rolling for political polarisation as more Vokkaliga leaders from the party in the Old Mysuru region may either join the Congress or the BJP in the run-up to the 2023 polls.
Already, Chamundeshwari MLA G T Devegowda, also a JDS strongman from the community, has hinted that he will join the Congress, provided he and his son be fielded in the Assembly polls. Former JDS MLA YSV Datta told reporters in Chikkamgaluru on Wednesday that Devegowda was an asset to the party and “it should not let him go.” Also, Gubbi MLA S R Srinivas is said to be in touch with Shivakumar. Kumaraswamy had recently said that those who want to quit the party can do so.
Such developments may have a cascading effect on the MLC polls and also the zilla and taluk panchayat elections. These polls are crucial for the three big political parties to keep their local leaders and elected representatives in good spirits ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls. Of the 25 MLC seats that will go to polls, 14 are currently with the Congress, six with BJP and four with JDS. An Independent is supporting the BJP.
KPCC working president Saleem Ahmed has started preliminary meetings to select Congress candidates for the 25 seats and for the MLC elections from the Teachers and Graduates constituencies to be held in June 2022.
Interestingly, some of the BJP aspirants too have already started meeting the electorate. BJP South Graduates constituency ticket aspirant Dr E C Ningaraj Gowda, a syndicate member of University of Mysore, held a preliminary meeting in Mysuru recently, and will hold a similar meeting in Hassan soon.