Will name Mandya candidate on March 25, says Kumaraswamy

NT Correspondent

Mandya: J D(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy declared that he would personally announce the candidate for Mandya on March 25. He made the announcement at a party programme in Mandya on Friday.

Interestingly, he had been responding to party workers raising slogans in favour of his son and JD(S) state youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy.

The two-time chief minister assured the crowd that he would not go against their desires, leading to speculation that Nikhil would contest from the Mandya Lok Sabha seat as he did in 2019.

However, it is to be noted that the actor-turned-politician has said in the past that he had no desire to contest from Mandya.

In 2019, he lost to BJPbacked inde pendent Sumalatha Ambareesh.

“I will not disregard the desire of those of you who have toiled for the party selflessly. I will not go against your wishes. I would also like to tell Nikhil Kumaraswamy that I won’t override his wishes either. I will go by your wishes. I have to get a heart surgery on the 21st. I will personally come down here and announce the name of the candidate on 25th,” Kumaraswamy said.

Even former Mandya MP CS Puttaraju, who had been an option as a Mandya candidate for the JD(S), said that Nikhil should get the ticket instead.

“I would like to request Kumaranna that it is our collective opinion that you (Nikhil) should be the candidate,” he said, adding that he and other party leaders had requested JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda to declare Nikhil as the Mandya candidate.

Nikhil himself tried to downplay the sentiment, saying that he would become an MP when the time comes.

He added that he would instead focus on working as youth leader of the party since workers had showered so much love on him.