JD(S) welcomes three new faces from Cong, BJP

Kumaraswamy confirmed that Halaharavi and Ghotnekar would be getting tickets and asserted that both would be elected to the Assembly

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Two former Congress leaders and another from the BJP joined the JD(S) at their party office JP Bhavan in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Former Huballi-Dharwad East MLA from BJP Veerabhadrappa Halaharavi, former MLC and erstwhile Congressman from Uttara Kannada district SL Ghotnekar and Kolar Zilla Panchayat vice president Vadagur Harish, also once associated with the Congress, were welcomed into the party fold by JD(S) legislature party leader HD Kumaraswamy and party state president CM Ibrahim. Dozens of booth level workers also joined the JD(S) in the process. Kumaraswamy confirmed that Halaharavi and Ghotnekar would be getting tickets and asserted that both would be elected to the Assembly.

“In 2023, Ghotnekar and Halaharavi will be elected and will make their way to the Assembly. Let there be no doubt about it,” he said. “We have concluded the Pancharatna Rath Yatra in 70 Assembly constituencies. People took part in huge numbers in north Karnataka as well. One person left our party in the Navalgund segment.

However, large crowds had gathered there too. People have exceeded our expectations and joined our programmes in huge numbers,” Kumaraswamy said, adding that JD(S) was well-placed to expand its party presence beyond its stronghold of Old Mysuru region. Ibrahim echoed the same sentiments and said that there was optimism within the party because they had been getting an excellent response from the masses during the Pancha Ratna Rath Yatra.

“When Kumaraswamy visited Sira (town in Tumakuru district) earlier, even at 1 am at night, people had gathered and showed their love for him. Where did this affection come from? The truth is that if your intentions are good, God will help you,” he said. The new inductees into the party are an expected trend since JD(S) doesn’t have strong candidates in many constituencies.

They are banking on disgruntled ticket aspirants in Congress and JD(S) to strengthen them in those segments and bring their cadre base with them. Halaharavi’s induction especially comes as no surprise since Dharwad JD(S) is being inundated with hopefuls with as many as 34 applicants vying for seven seats in the district.