Bypolls semi-finals to 2019 LS elections: CM

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday termed the upcoming bypolls to the two Assembly constituencies and three Lok Sabha segments as the "semi-finals" to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing the media at the JD(S) office, Kumaraswamy said the Congress and JD(S) were confident of winning all five constituencies going to polls on November 3.

"The BJP has termed this partnership as an unholy alliance. But people will decide the fate of this coalition. These bypolls will stand testimony to it," he added.

The chief minister said none of the three major political parties, including the BJP, had either expected or anticipated the announcement of the bypolls by the Election Commission.

"Now that the election dates have been announced, it has become inevitable for us to enter the electoral battlefield," he said.

Kumaraswamy said the BJP was continuing to make attempts to regain power.

The chief minister said it was not his decision to field his wife Anitha for the  Ramanagara bypoll. 

To a specific question, Kumaraswamy said dynasty politics had become “inevitable” in the current political atmosphere.   

"There are no personal or selfish motives here. The party workers had demanded that somebody from the family (Deve Gowda family) is fielded in Ramanagara when the seat fell vacant. The people of the constituency treat me like their son - I am merely fulfilling their wish," Kumaraswamy said.

On his party's decision to field former MLA Madhu Bangarappa from Shimoga Lok Sabha seat, Kumaraswamy said it was "God's wish".

“I was very upset that he was defeated in Soraba - that a young and dynamic leader like him couldn't join me in the Cabinet. None of us had expected the outcome. But if he had won the Assembly election, it would not have been possible to field him in the bypoll. It was the unanimous decision of both the Congress and the JD(S) to field him from Shimoga,” he said.

Kumaraswamy said Madhu would be the party's candidate from Shimoga for next year's Lok Sabha elections too.

On BSP MLA N Mahesh's exit from the cabinet, Kumaraswamy said that it was BSP's "internal matter". He, however, said the JD(S)-BSP alliance was intact.

When asked if either he or JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda had spoken to BSP chief Mayawati, Kumaraswamy said he had spoken to BSP national general secretary Satish Mishra.

"Satish Mishra had dialled me. He requested me to accept Mahesh's resignation. His decision to resign is BSP's internal matter," he added.