JDS awaits disgruntled BJP, Cong leaders

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru:

With lots of hues and cries in the Congress Party over two lists of candidates and threats to quit the party, the Janata Dal (Secular) decided to release its second list of candidates for the May 10 Assembly polls after some time with an expectation of those dissatisfied leaders to join their party. The JDS was the first party in the state to release the first list of candidates and it was supposed to make public the second list two weeks ago.

After seeing turmoil in the Congress Party over the selection of candidates for 160 plus seats of the total 224 constituencies, the JDS decided to wait for some more of the disgruntled leaders to join their party with the sole aim of defeating the official Congress candidates. A similar situation is prevalent in the ruling BJP with unrest brewing within the saffron party over the attitude of a few sitting MLAs.

The rank and file of those constituencies have threatened to remain neutral if the high command gives tickets to those legislators despite their strong opposition. The cadre-based BJP was not ready to take the threats of party workers and seriously considered denying tickets to those whose performance was not up to expectations.

In contact G Raghu Achar and Nagaraj Chabbi who were aspirants for the Chitradurga and Kalghatgi Constituencies in Chitradurga and Dharwad districts, but were denied the tickets, were learned to be in contact with the JDS leaders. Already, by default, a few former legislators from Congress and BJP have joined the JDS after being promised tickets by former CM and senior JDS leader, HD Kumaraswamy.

Like Achary and Chabbi, there is another set of Congress leaders who wanted to spoil the chances of their own party candidates by contesting as the JDS candidate or doing an antiCongress campaign in the constituency. This may help the JDS or the BJP due to the division of votes. Already, five sitting JDS MLAs’ have quit and joined the Congress and BJP ahead of the crucial Assembly elections.

KPCC President DK Shivakumar had been poaching the MLAs of BJP and JDS to cross the magical number of 113 seats to form the government on its own. But the present surveys have indicated a hung Assembly with no simple majority for any party to have its own government. Like previous elections, the JDS is all set to emerge as the kingmaker.

Winning 30 to 40 seats is enough for the JDS to make two national parties run behind it seeking the support to form the next government. In the meantime, State JDS President CM Ibrahim has given a clarion call for all those who have left the party to come back and help the regional party to form the next govt