JOIN USGTD declines to contest; regional party involved in hectic parleys
With just a day left for nomination to the Lok Sabha polls on Wednesday, Janata Dal (Secular) was still undecided on its candidate, for the Mysore-Kodagu constituency, till late Tuesday hours.
In a new and significant development, the name of a Dalit leader from the party is doing the rounds, after Chamundeshwari MLA G T Devegowda said a firm ‘no’ to contest.
Sources told Deccan Herald, JD(S) MLAs from Mysore district — S Chikkamadu (H D Kote), Sa Ra Mahesh (K R Nagar) and G T Devegowda — who rushed to Bangalore on Tuesday morning, held a day-long parleys with former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy.
If any inevitability arises, the leaders have decided to field either Subbaiah, a Dalit leader from K R Nagar or B Somasekhar, former minister and JD(U) leader from Malavalli, both places under Mandya Lok Sabha constituency.
The candidate may come along with the ‘B’ Form directly to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, here, on Wednesday, to file his nomination. Still, one cannot deny last minute changes, said a leader.
Timely move
Though the K R Nagar Assembly constituency comes under Mandya Lok Sabha segment post-delimitation, the leaders are of the opinion that it would be a timely move to field a candidate from the native of sitting MP and Congress nominee A H Vishwanath.
Another leader, on condition of anonymity, told this paper, that the party has also taken into account, its growing popularity among backward classes, especially after the elevation of former minister A Krishnappa, a Yadava, as State president of the party.
Besides, by fielding a Dalit, the JD(S) leaders feel, it will doubly benefit them. Vishwanath is a Kuruba by caste, while Prathapa Simha of the BJP is a Vokkaliga.
Of the total 16 lakh electorate in the Mysore-Kodagu LS constituency, Dalits also form a major chunk of voters.