BENGALURU: The second day of the four-day workshop organised by the JDS, saw improved turnout with fence-sitters and those who had lost the previous election showing up on Tuesday after former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy sounded a warning.
Former minister and Gubbi MLA S R Srinivas, who was among those reportedly planning to switch sides, took part in the brainstorming session and clarified that he has decided not to quit the party. He was in the spotlight with party leaders giving him an unusual welcome, specially K R Nagar MLA Sa Ra Mahesh, who has been tasked with keeping the flock together.
Some of the leaders who had given the workshop a miss on Day 1, turned up on Tuesday after Kumaraswamy warned on Monday that he has plans to field alternative candidates. As if on cue, the party’s losing candidate from Tumakuru city constituency in 2018, N Govindaraju, also keenly took part in the proceedings.
However, sources pointed out that Kumaraswamy has already identified some probables for the 2023 polls in Tumakuru district including Tumakuru City, Gubbi and Sira Assembly constituencies. “We will release our first list of candidates by Sankranti festival in January 2022”, Kumaraswamy declared on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Melukote MLA C S Puttaraju, who was also considering jumping ship, has been convinced by Sa Ra Mahesh not to leave the party fold. The party sees Mahesh as a replacement for MLA G T Devegowda in Chamundeshwari Assembly segment, as the latter has openly announced his intention to quit the JDS and join the Congress along with his son Harish Gowda.
The Congress may pitch Harish against Sa Ra Mahesh from K R Nagar if the latter contests from there, sources told TNIE. Political analyst Sugata Srinivasaraju, who conducted the brainstorming session for the JD(S) leaders, suggested that the party should aim to pick up 37.5 per cent of the votes in 2023 to achieve its ‘Mission 123+’. He also narrated some excerpts from former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda’s biography, which he is authoring and is slated to be released in November.