Panchayat polls around, JD(S) woos senior leaders

The Janata Dal (Secular) plans to consolidate its position in the State ahead of the crucial Zilla and Taluk panchayat elections by trying to woo a host of senior leaders from other parties.

The arrival of such experienced leaders in the coming days is expected to give the much-needed strength to the party to help it balance the caste arithmetic and improve the regional influence.

Prominent among the veterans who are reportedly planning to join the party are former chief minister S Bangarappa and former ministers K Srinivas Gowda and C Chennigappa.

Bangarappa is scheduled to officially join the JD(S) on Wednesday in the presence of party chief H D Deve Gowda. Bangarappa, who belongs to the Idiga community, wields considerable clout in coastal and Malnad regions. The JD(S), whose presence is comparatively weak here, to some extent stands to gain with his entry.

Similarly, Srinivas Gowda, who was with the Congress till recently, and C Chennigappa, who had joined the BJP after quitting the JD(S), will help the party further strengthen its position in Kolar and Tumkur districts respectively.

Sources said efforts are also on to woo other senior leaders - Siddaramaiah, Ramesh Kumar, M P Prakash and B L Shankar, who are all with the Congress now - back to party fold. Some supporters of Prakash are learnt to have met JD(S) State president H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday and urged him to invite their leader to rejoin the party.

JD (S) leaders are well aware that it is difficult to rebuild the Janata Pariwar all over again as Siddaramaiah is a difficult man to approach and Shankar has no grouse against the Congress as of now. Also, Ramesh Kumar has so far not expressed any resentment with the Congress. 

However, party leaders anticipate that Siddaramaiah may become frustrated or sidelined in the Congress if he can’t have a final say during ticket distribution for local body elections. It will be the right time to woo him back to the JD(S), they believe.

Campaign in N Karnataka

According to sources, Kumaraswamy’s plan is to conduct an extensive campaign in North Karnataka to improve the party’s base there keeping in view the next Assembly elections. To broaden the influence of the JD(S), the former chief minister is trying to net as many as 100 district and taluk level leaders from the region, including Vaijanath Patil and C Gurunath. Kumaraswamy believes they will rejuvenate the party in various assembly segments, sources said.

This apart, many of the disqualified BJP legislators and Independent MLAs such as Belur Gopalakrishna, Balachandra Jarkiholi, Sampangi, Shivaraj Thangadagi and P M Narendraswamy, may also join the JD(S).

If they find it difficult to officially join the party during the elections as their case against their disqualification is pending before the Supreme Court, they will work for the JD(S), sources said. The party is aiming at broadening its base across the State in view of the next assembly elections.

Steps in this direction will continue even after the ZP and TP polls. However, the JD(S) is realistic when it comes to poll results as the party is under no illusion that it can outsmart the BJP or the Congress.