M B Sadashiva might get JD(S) ticket

With the JD(S) district unit submitting a list of its potential candidates from Dakshina Kannada constituency, M B Sadashiva has emerged from shadows to centre stage in district politics.

Mohammed Kunhi, district president of JD(S), informed on Monday that the party, on the directions of the party chief H D Deve Gowda and other leaders, had submitted a list of four candidates – including Sushil Noronha, party vice president M B Sadashiva, and MLCs B M Farooq and S L Bhoje Gowda.

Career

Sadashiva, who hails from Sullia, is being projected as a potential JD(S) candidate from Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency for the first time in his long political career. He was in the forefront during the JP movement in the seventies and has been Deve Gowda loyalist.

Sadashiva, who runs a non-government organisation (NGO), M B Foundation, wields considerable clout within the party due to his proximity to all leaders. After being made the district president of the party, however, Sadashiva had courted controversy by removing D M Aslam, who was then serving as president of the minority cell in 2013.

His political career had almost come to an end, when over 60 leaders – including former minister B Nagaraj Shetty – had accused him of not having any intention to strengthen the party. The leaders had resigned from their posts in 2013, as JD(S) leaders had decided to throw their weight behind Sadashiva.

Sources told DH that Sadashiva, however, was rattled by the rebellion within the party and, a year later, he resigned as president during the Lok Sabha elections in 2014. After years in the shadows, Sadashiva is set to play a decisive role within the district party in the 17th Lok Sabha elections this year.

Campaign for Congress

When asked on the probability of the JD(S) fielding their candidate in Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency, Sadashiva maintained that they were ‘prepared’ to even campaign for the Congress candidate, if the leaders decided to barter the Dakshina Kannada for another seat, which is a stronghold of the JD(S).

Sadashiva, in the past, had openly criticised Congress and his party’s decision to hold truck with the CPI, the BJP and the SDPI. When reminded of his criticism of the Congress, Sadashiva defended that the present elections were important. “It is a do-or-die situation as the objective is to save democracy and country (from the BJP),” he stressed.

The JD(S) vice president conceded that the party is not strong in all taluks. “But the booth-level committees are in place and party leaders will be visiting all the taluks. The party’s many achievements are listed in the manifesto. Besides, issues like the incomplete flyover at Mahaveer (Pumpwell) Junction has swung the tide in our favour,” he declared.