JOIN USH D Kumaraswamy's twin-seat strategy to quell family feud
JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy's decision to contest from both Ramanagara and Channapatna Assembly segments in the upcoming elections has raised eyebrows, fuelling speculations.
Though he has earned the tag of a 'migratory bird' - given his constant switching of constituencies since 1996 - this will be Kumaraswamy's first electoral gamble where he will contest from two constituencies simultaneously.
When the party announced its first list on February 17, Kumaraswamy's name figured as the candidate from Ramanagara. On Tuesday, Kumaraswamy took every body by surprise by announcing that he will contest from two constituencies.
The reasons being attributed to Kumaraswamy's decision is the heightening "family feud," and the party's desperation to recapture Channapatna from the clutches of another Vokkaliga leader - C P Yogeeshwara.
Kumaraswamy who had made a commitment to the electorate that only two members from the Gowda family would contest the upcoming polls was caught in a Catch 22 situation when both his wife, Anitha Kumaraswamy, and nephew, Prajwal Revanna, started insisting on their candidatures.
While Anitha wanted to contest from Channapatna, a seat she had lost to Yogeeshwara by a narrow margin in 2013, Prajwal continues to remain uncompromising about his decision to contest from Rajarajeshwarinagar in Bengaluru.
The youngster had even attacked the party openly after Kumaraswamy refused to give him the ticket. With the former chief minister announcing his decision to contest from Channapatna as well, Prajwal is likely to give up his demand.
The JD(S) chief ministerial candidate is also said to have made a tacit understanding with Congress' D K Shivakumar, who might end up fielding a "dummy" candidate in Channapatna from the Congress, given that Yogeeshwara of the BJP is a common enemy to the two Vokkaliga strongmen.