Gird up for ZP, TP polls, Kumaraswamy tells JD(S) cadre

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy called upon JD(S) leaders and workers to prepare for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat (ZP) and Taluk Panchayat (TP) elections in Karnataka slated for February. He made the comments on Nikhil during a meeting with JD(S) MLAs, MLCs, former ministers and former MLCs at his farmhouse in Kattigenhalli village of Bidadi taluk in Ramanagar district. “If there are any differences, sort them out. However, I believe we have presented a united front,” he said. “Winning these (local body) elections is crucial for our party's future,” he added. The Union Minister also asked the party to take up the membership drive in the state with “vigour”.

Kumaraswamy is based in New Delhi and is a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet and holds important portfolios such as Heavy Industries, Steel and Public Enterprises. Therefore, he asked senior leaders in the party to guide his son and JD(S) Karnataka youth wing president Nikhil. “I am not speaking about Nikhil because he is my son, but because he has the virtues of a leader who puts the party before himself. Today, I hand him over to the party, and it is your duty to guide him,” he said.