Ex-Cong MLC Srinath to join JD(S), contest from Gangavathi

He is son of five-time Koppal MP H G Ramulu

Upset with the Congress for sidelining his family, former Congress legislator H R Srinath and his father H G Ramulu, a five-time MP from Koppal, have decided to join the JD(S).

The JD(S) has promised to field Srinath, a former MLC and Koppal District Congress Committee chief, from the Gangavathi constituency in the upcoming Assembly elections. Srinath will be officially joining the JD(S) on February 17

Ramulu, a household name in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region too has disassociated himself from the Congress, and has assured to support the JD(S). However, he is not going to be seen in the frontline, owing to his health and age.

On Monday, the JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and state party president H D Kumaraswamy visited Srinath at his residence in Bengaluru and extended a formal invitation to him and his father to join the party.    

Srinath told DH that he is migrating to the JD(S) as the 'Siddaramaiah Congress' had sidelined native Congressman. "Senior Congress leaders and loyalists are being suppressed in every part of the state. The party is no longer in the hands of Rahul Gandhi -- it is in the hands of Siddaramaiah. I don't want to work under the Siddaramaiah Congress. We are from a secular family. I have decided to go to the JD(S) and work for Kumaraswamy," he said.  

Srinath said that he had resigned from the Congress a month ago.

Ramulu rued that he was being backstabbed by the very leaders groomed by him. "Let the Rama Rajya of yesteryears be re-established under Deve Gowda's leadership," said the 85-year-old politician.

"Ramulu is like a lion in Hyderabad-Karnataka region. I'm overjoyed that he is joining the JD(S)," said Gowda. He also appealed to Srinath to work together with Kumaraswamy, like 'Lava and Kusha'.

JD(S) 1st list likely on Feb 17

The JD(S) is likely to announce its first list of 125 to 140 candidates on February 17 at a convention to be organised in Bengaluru. The JD(S) is planning to mobilise more than two lakh people for the event. The candidates have already been asked to start work in their constituencies. Party sources said that the candidates will be made to take an oath pledging their allegiance to the JD(S).

The party is also exploring options of a pre-poll alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the state. Sources said that party general secretary Kunwar Danish Ali has held talks with BSP chief Mayawati.