Actor Shashi Kumar rejoins JD(S)

JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda’s residence was abuzz with activities on Thursday with candidates making a beeline to collect their ‘B’ forms.

The party continues to benefit from the rebellion within the Congress and the BJP, as two more leaders have joined the JD(S).

Actor-turned-politician Shashi Kumar re-joined the JD(S) in the presence of Gowda. The party has decided to field him from Hosadurga in Chitradurga.

He had quit the JD(S) in 2006 to join the Congress. The Congress failed to give him a ticket this time. Speaking to reporters, Kumar said the Congress ‘used and discarded’ him. “I campaigned for the Congress extensively — for the 2006 Chamundeshwari by-polls, Nanjangud and Gundlupet byelections and even for the local body elections. I was not treated well by the party.”

When asked if he would campaign for the party across the state, Kumar said he would restrict himself to Hosadurga, owing to the paucity of time.

Late on Thursday, former BJP MLA Prakash Khandre, too, joined the party. The JD(S) has decided to field him from Bhalki.

The party has decided to field former BJP corporator G H Ramachandra, who recently joined the party, from RR Nagar. Besides Gowda’s grandson Prajwal, there were two more aspirants wanting to contest from RR Nagar, including former cricketer Dodda Ganesh. Ganesh said he would campaign for Ramachandra.