Another JD(S) MLC set to desert Gowda

By Shyam Sundar Vattam| NT

Mysuru: It looks another Janata Dal (Secular) MLC M Maritibbegowda is all set to leave the party and join the BJP which is poaching leaders from Congress and JD(S) to strengthen its roots in Mandya district.

A few months ago, two JD(S) MLCs, K.Puttanna and Sandesh Nagaraj had joined the BJP and now Maritibbegowda is likely to enter the BJP camp. As a prelude to his exit, he openly launched a tirade against JDS supremo H.D.Deve Gowda and former CM H.D.Kumaraswamy and said the party gives tickets only to ‘money bags.’ He has decided not to campaign for the JD(S) candidate in the coming biennial elections to the Legislative Council from the teachers and graduates constituency.

The senior JDS MLC said leaders don’t have any respect for party workers and criticised the party’s choice for the Karnataka South Graduates Constituency. “The leaders did not give the ticket to Kilara Jayaram just because he did not have the resources. In his place, the party has given a ticket to Ramu who has not held the party flag even for a day. I will never support such decisions of party leaders.’’

He also said it was wrong to blame Mandya legislators for the defeat of Deve Gowda and Nikhil Kumaraswamy in the 2019 LS elections. Had JD(S) legislators of Mandya not worked, Nikhil would not have got five lakh votes. “I had opposed giving the ticket to Nikhil and favoured fielding an ordinary party worker from Mandya but no one listened to me.”

According to sources, the BJP has sent feelers to Maritibbegowda to join the saffron party and may consider giving the ticket to Kilara Jayaram in the coming MLC polls. I Already, several leaders from Mandya have joined the BJP and some more leaders are in talks with state BJP leaders for their entry into the saffron party. Recently, chairman of the State legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti quit JD(S) and joined BJP.