HDK says he will contest from Channapatna

Addressing a party convention in Channapatna, Kumaraswamy, who represents the Bangalore (Rural) constituency in the Lok Sabha, had initially said he would consult his father, H D Deve Gowda, before taking a final decision on his candidature.

However, party workers assembled at the convention almost mobbed him insisting that he contest from Channapatna for the April 9 by-election.

Overwhelmed by the popular demand, Kumaraswamy assured the workers that he will file his nomination papers on Wednesday. The JD(S) candidates for the Bangarpet and Jagalur Assembly constituencies, that are also going to polls on April 9, are likely to be announced on Monday.

Channapatna is witnessing its second Assembly bypoll in as many years. C P Yogeshwar, who was elected on a Congress ticket, joined the BJP in 2009. In the ensuing by-election M C Ashwath of the JD(S) was elected. But he too crossed over to the BJP, necessitating another by-election. Yogeshwar will be the BJP candidate against Kumaraswamy.

The BJP has also chosen defectors S V Ramachandra and M Narayanaswamy to contest from Jagalur and Bangarpet respectively. The duo had resigned from the Congress and joined the BJP under ‘Operation Lotus’ during October last year.

A tug of war is on among Congress leaders on pushing their candidates for the bypolls. Former minister D K Shivakumar is keen on fielding his brother D K Suresh from Channapatna, while union minister of state for railways K M Muniyappa is lobbying for his follower Narayanappa for the Bangarpet seat.