BENGALURU: The JDS may well be taking a leaf out of the BJP’s book to win not less than 123 seats in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections. The BJP had classified each of West Bengal’s 294 constituencies ahead of the Assembly polls, held earlier this year, into three categories — A (easy win), B (a contest) and C (a tough contest), depending on the nature of the fight. The JDS now has gone a step ahead by adding another category, A+, where it not only has a strong base, but also a strong candidate.
The party leadership held deliberations in this regard on the first day of the four-day Janata Parva 1.0 — a workshop for legislators and ticket hopefuls at former CM HD Kumaraswamy’s farmhouse at Kethiganahalli near Bidadi, on Monday. The workshop is part of the party’s ‘Mission 123’ campaign. This comes at a time when the JDS is facing a crisis with three of its legislators — Chamundeshwari MLA G T Devegowda, Gubbi MLA S R Srinivas and Kolar MLA K Srinivas Gowda — rebelling. As expected, the trio did not attend the workshop.
Speaking after the inauguration of the workshop, Kumarasmway said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced the 2014 Lok Sabha elections with the slogan ‘Mission 272+’. We are going with ‘Mission 123+ for the 2023 Assembly elections.” Kumaraswamy said the JDS will not focus on all the 224 seats, but on ‘winnable’ constituencies. He further said the party has decided to field newbies in 20-25 seats.
JDS insiders told TNIE that a search is on for alternative candidates for Gubbi, Kolar, and Chamundeshwari Assembly segments among other seats where the incumbent party MLAs are reportedly planning to quit. “HD Kumaraswamy already has some names in his mind,” informed a source. “The Congress is in touch with some of our leaders, including those who came second in several constituencies in the 2018 elections. But I am not worried about such people... I did not invite them to the workshop,” Kumaraswamy said.
“No one, including Congress leader Siddaramaiah, who often criticises our party, can finish off JDS in Karnataka. There is a lot of propaganda by our critics that we are soft on the BJP and will ally with them. But we will teach our critics a lesson in the 2023 polls,” former PM and JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda said. The party also has plans to attract defeated candidates such as Anandaiah in Mayakonda, who garnered considerable votes as an Independent in the 2018 Assembly polls.
Not joining Cong or BJP, says JDS MLA
Hassan: Arasikere MLA KM Shivalinge Gowda said he will not quit the Janata Dal Secular, and that some BJP and Congress leaders are making baseless statements to tarnish his image. He said he has a good rapport with senior leaders in the Congress and BJP, which had brought in grants for the constituency. Local BJP leaders had said that Shivalinge Gowda is likely to join the BJP or Congress before the assembly elections.