JD(S) scouts for visible leaders to better its LS election prospects

Long standing minority leader Abdul Azeem is likely to be Janata Dal (Secular) candidate from Bangalore Central constituency for the coming Lok Sabha polls. The party is yet to finalise its candidates for the Bangalore North and Bangalore South constituencies.    
 

 The party is still trying to identify the right candidate as it seeks to field strong contenders for both these constituencies and has been hard put to zero in on the right person, given the lack of visible leaders who can take on the seasoned campaigners in these two prestigious constituencies. 

The party is adopting a wait and watch policy, with Bangalore North constituency expected to see BJP fielding D V Sadananda Gowda. 

As regards Bangalore Rural constituency, with JD (S) leader H D Kumaraswamy ruling himself out of contest, it is likely that his wife Anitha Kumarswamy will be the party’s choice. Further the party is set to field Iqbal Ansari from Koppal, and another Muslim from Davangere, in order to woo the sizeable Muslim population in North Karnataka and consolidate its electoral prospects.  JD(S) State president A Krishnappa has been asked to contest from Tumkur. Krishnappa is also being pegged to fight from Chikkaballapur against likely candidature of Veerappa Moily from Congress. The party, which will be fielding stalwart H D Deve Gowda from Hassan, has given a free hand to party’s chief whip and youth leader Madhu Bangarappa to field candidate from his family in the Shimoga and Uttar Kannada constituencies. 

According to Madhu Bangarappa, the family will announce their candidate from Shimoga and Uttar Kannada at a public function in the first or second week of February. The first list of JD (S) candidates is expected on January 17 or 18 after discussions with party leaders from across the State to be held in Palace Grounds.