Kumaraswamy seeks Kolar for JD(S), but Shah non-committal

The tug of war between BJP and JD(S) on the Kolar Lok Sabha seat continued as JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy, on Saturday, failed to get a concrete assurance regarding the constituency from the BJP’s central leadership.

The former chief minister, who met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here, requested him to leave the Kolar constituency for the regional outfit.

However, Shah refused to give any assurance to Kumaraswamy and told him that he would get back in a day or two after consulting the state BJP leaders, sources said.

Kumaraswamy, who came to Delhi on Saturday, left for Bengaluru hurriedly in the evening after meeting Shah. The former CM refused to share information with reporters on what transpired at the meeting.

The JD(S), which has been allotted Hassan and Mandya segments as part of the alliance, has been demanding the Kolar seat also.

If the party does manage to get Kolar, it is planning to field its Mulbagal MLA Samruddhi Manjunath or former MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy from there.

However, state BJP leaders have urged the central leaders not to let go of this constituency since it is BJP’s seat, currently represented by S Muniswamy of the party in the Lok Sabha.

State BJP leaders argue that the regional party has effectively got three constituencies, given that noted cardiologist Dr C N Manjunath, son-in-law of JD(S) supremo and former PM H D Deve Gowda, is contesting on a BJP ticket from Bengaluru Rural. 

Kumaraswamy, while speaking to his supporters here, is learnt to have expressed unhappiness over the BJP’s dilly-dally in finalising the seat-sharing deal.

He told them that the saffron party announced candidates for 20 segments in Karnataka unilaterally, without taking the alliance partner into confidence, sources said. 

As a result, it would be tough to convince the JD(S) leaders and workers at the local level to work for the victory of the BJP candidates, sources said, quoting the former chief minister.