JOIN USJD(S) withholds Hassan list
The JD(S), which on Friday released a list of 122 candidates for the Assembly elections, has not announced candidates for constituencies in Hassan district.
The party has fielded all the sitting MLAs for the very seats they represent in the current Assembly. Sources in the party said that there are too many contenders for all the seats in Hassan district. In all probability, the JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy would leave the selection of the candidates for this Vokkaliga belt to his brother H D Revanna, MLA from Holenarasipur in Hassan district.
While Kumaraswamy would be contesting from Ramanagara, Mandya MP Cheluvarayaswamy would enter the race from Nagamangala. Former Union minister Basanagouda Patil Yatnal would try his luck from Bijapur city. Anitha, wife of Kumaraswamy, will be in fray from Channapattana. She is now MLA from Madhugiri in Tumkur district.
The party had no hesitation to give ticket to former minister Raju Gouda, BJP MLA, who walked into the JD (S) office on Friday. He is being fielded from Surpur in Yadgir district. He was seated along with Kumaraswamy at a press conference where the list was announced. Raju Gouda, had resigned as minister, hoping that he would get the Congress ticket. But, once he realised that migrants may not find favour with the Congress, he joined the JD (S).
Two more party hoppers – H S Shankarlinge Gowda and G T Deve Gowda, too have been accommodated. BJP MLA Manappa Vajjal’s name too figures in the list. He is fielded from Lingasugur of Raichur district.
Though Vajjal and Raju Gouda have disassociated from the BJP, they have not resigned as MLAs or as members of the BJP. Vajjal is scheduled to join the JD (S) on Saturday.
The JD(S) has given ticket to 40 Vokkaligas including three Bunts, 26 Lingayats, 18 from the Scheduled Castes, eight from the Scheduled Tribes, 10 Muslims, nine Kurubas and three Brahmins.
Pre-poll predictions
Kumaraswamy said that he would not attach importance to pre-poll predictions aired by a private TV channel as the institution which has conducted the survey has huge funds to conduct survey to support a particular party.
The JD (S) would be disproving the projections made in the survey, he said. He said the second list would be released in a couple of days. There is confusion regarding the selection of candidate, he claimed.
He said six videos would be screened in Padmanabhanagar on Sunday at a public rally which would showcase the achievements made when he was the chief minister.