BENGALURU: The BJP-JDS alliance is said to have found the son-in-law of former prime minister HD Devegowda, Dr C N Manjunath, who is former director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research Centre, a fit candidate to contest from the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha seat. But it has been finding it difficult to come to a conclusion on the Tumakuru LS seat.
Even as former minister V Somanna’s name is said to be finalised to contest from the seat on a BJP ticket, the local, state and even national leadership is not confident of him winning the election as surveys have favoured Congress, sources said.
With the Grand Old Party declaring former MP SP Muddahanume Gowda, a Vokkaliga, as its candidate for the seat, there are talks within the alliance whether to field Somanna as a BJP or JDS candidate. The BJP leadership, however, has asked JDS to take the Tumakuru seat, a JDS leader said. But Somanna, a Lingayat, getting many Vokkaliga votes if he contests on a BJP ticket is unlikely and he may be asked to contest from JDS, a party known to be close to Vokkaligas. But even then, Somanna may not get many Vokkaligas as he is up against a strong Vokkaliga leader, Muddahanume Gowda.
Which is why the alliance partners and even the BJP national leadership is looking at former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy to contest from the seat, as he would get both BJP and JDS votes, a BJP leader said. Kumaraswamy contesting from Tumakuru is likely to help the alliance candidate in the adjacent Bangalore Rural constituency too, he analysed.