VIJAYAPURA: With the ruling Congress in Karnataka nearly completing three years in office and Assembly elections two years away, the Janata Dal (Secular) is preparing to strengthen its base, mainly in North Karnataka where it is currently on a shaky ground.
Having completed 25 years since its formation, the JDS sees this as an opportunity to relaunch itself through a state-wide tour focused on the northern belt.
While the regional party retains a fairly strong grip in Old Mysuru region, its presence in North Karnataka has dwindled sharply. Of the party’s 18 MLAs in the Assembly today, only four are from the region, underscoring the urgency behind the revival push after it won just 19 seats in the last elections.
Party patriarch and former PM HD Deve Gowda and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy have taken the lead in the renewed outreach.
As part of the silver jubilee year, the JDS organised a massive Janata convention in Vijayapura on February 27. The party plans to hold similar events elsewhere in North Karnataka in the coming days. The initiative is also aimed at shedding the long-held perception that the party is confined to the Old Mysuru belt.
Two decades ago, the JDS had a notable base across North Karnataka, electing multiple MLAs from several districts. Successive electoral setbacks, however, eroded that support. Leaders now hope the conference will energise the cadre, rebuild grassroots networks and reintroduce the party’s legacy of contributions to the region.
The party wants to convey to people of the region that Deve Gowda played a major role in securing funding for the Upper Krishna Project.
The leadership also plans to highlight Kumaraswamy’s tenure as CM, during which projects like the construction of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi were initiated, symbolising administrative focus on the region. By invoking these developmental milestones, the party hopes to reconnect with voters who once formed a key part of its support base.
Strategically, the JDS is also looking to consolidate its alliance with the BJP to prevent vote fragmentation and improve prospects in the 2028 Assembly polls.
JDS youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy has asserted that the party’s strength in Kittur Karnataka remains intact and that the upcoming rally will demonstrate its continued relevance.
Ultimately, the JDS’ northern push reflects a broader survival strategy to reinvent itself beyond its traditional stronghold, regain lost political space, and re-emerge as a decisive regional force in Karnataka’s evolving electoral landscape.