BJP-JD(S) combine draws plan to wrest Bangalore Rural from Congress

The BJP-JD(S) combine is manoeuvering to put up a formidable fight in Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency, the sole Congress seat held by D K Suresh, brother of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

However, there is no clarity on which of the two alliance partners will field a candidate in the segment.

It is learnt that BJP state president B Y Vijayendra is keen on his party fielding a candidate in the segment.

Vijayendra’s plan is an extension of the experiment the BJP started with the
Assembly polls when it fielded senior leader R Ashoka against Shivakumar in Kanakapura.

While the plan miserably failed with Ashoka even losing his deposit, the BJP has started groundwork to wrest the Bangalore Rural constituency.

Former BJP minister C P Yogeshwar and party spokesperson Ashwathanarayan Gowda are said to be seeking the ticket from the seat.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP’s Ashwathnarayan Gowda polled 6.71 lakh votes against Suresh’s 8.78 lakh. 

A senior BJP leader told DH that the party, as of now, had not given thought about whom to field from this seat but had started working with the JD(S) at the grassroots level to bring the workers of both parties on the same page.

“It is still very hazy about whether this seat would go to the JD(S) or come to us. Unless the seat-sharing formula is worked out between the JDS and the BJP, there will be speculation on candidates. It is also possible that JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy might want to take on the DK brothers as, at the moment, he is the strongest candidate available,” the leader said. 

While Kumaraswamy has publicly rejected the idea of him becoming MP, another source in BJP said the JD(S) leader may opt to enter the fray from Bangalore Rural.

“The reason behind this move is to retain control of Ramanagara district. The Kumaraswamy family believes that the district is lucky for them as he and his father H D Deve Gowda became CM after winning from here. So, he may not let go of control over Ramanagara,” a BJP leader from Ramanagara said.