Karnataka polls: Exodus to JD(S) continues; to field ex-BJP MLA from Varuna

Santosh, former personal assistant to BJP leader B S Yediyurappa joins JD(S) in the presence of party leader H D Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru on Saturday. DH Photo/Ranju P

Leaders from other parties continued to join the JD(S) on Saturday. The party has given some of them a chance to contest the elections.

On Saturday, the party announced Dr Bharathi Shankar, former BJP legislator from T Narasipur, as its candidate for Varuna, where former chief minister Siddaramaiah and Minister V Somanna are the Congress and BJP candidates, respectively. Bharathi Shankar had won from T Narasipur in 1999.

It is said that the strategy of the regional party is to split the Dalit votes by fielding Bharathi Shankar, who belongs to the SC community. The Varuna segment has around 45,000 votes belonging to the community.

However, denying that this was a strategic move, JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy said he was forced to change the candidate as the one announced in the first list was not active in the constituency.

Read | Karnataka polls: JD(S) releases list of six more candidates, 149 names cleared so far

Meanwhile, Raghu Achar, who joined JD(S) on Friday, is contesting from Chitradurga.

Former minister A B Malakareddy, who was denied ticket by the Congress, joined JD(S) and is contesting from Bidar.

Another ex-Congress leader Devaraj Patil will contest from Bagalkot on a JD(S) ticket. JD(S) on Saturday also inducted N R Santosh, who is hoping for a ticket from Arasikere. Santosh is the grand-nephew of former chief minister B S Yediyurappa.

Kumaraswamy said that his brother, former minister H D Revanna, was in talks with the party workers in Arasikere and would soon announce Santosh as a candidate.

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