Nikhil preaches NDA unity for Channapatna by-poll

Ramanagara, NT Bureau: J D(S) Karnataka Youth Wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy on Thursday tried to calm passions in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) camp by preaching unity in relation to the Channapatna Assembly by-poll.

He made the comments to mediapersons during his visit to Channapatna town in Ramanagara district on Thursday. Nikhil was responding to questions about BJP MLC CP Yogeshwar and Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Assembly R Ashoka lobbying before the saffron party high command for the Channapatna ticket.

“Some state BJP leaders have expressed their opinions. We didn’t oppose that. Rather we have welcomed it. However, it is the BJP senior leaders and our leader (HD) Kumaraswamy who will take a decision and choose a suitable candidate. Both parties should back the candidate, regardless of which party he belongs to. BJP and JD(S) should chant the hymn of unity. Our party workers will work for the candidate, regardless of which party fields said competitor,” Nikhil said, referring to the fact that the BJP and JD(S) would field one candidate on one party’s ticket.

He added that an NDA victory in the Channapatna by-poll was “guaranteed”. It is to be noted that JD(S) and BJP have occupied the first and second positions in the previous Assembly elections in the city while Congress has finished a distant third.

Channapatna was represented by Kumaraswamy, who had to vacate it after he won from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency earlier this year.

He went on to land a Union Ministry. Kumaraswamy had unseated Yogeshwar from Channapatna in the 2018 Assembly election and retained the seat in 2023. However, before that Yogeshwar had won the seat five times.