Good fortunes for Cong-JD(S) in upcoming polls: HDK

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who had earlier dubbed the bypolls as the ‘semi-finals’ to the Lok Sabha elections, on Tuesday said that the results have signalled the good fortunes in store for the JD(S) and the Congress in the upcoming polls.

Addressing the media in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy hit out at the BJP for disparaging the JD(S)-Congress partnership and terming it as an “unholy alliance”. He said that the electorate of all five constituencies had given a fitting reply to the saffron party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The Chief Minister said that the ruling parties would fight the Parliament elections together and that JD(S) would contest nine out of 28 Lok Sabha seats. He said that the two parties were confident of winning all 28 seats. “Just because we have won two out of three Lok Sabha seats (Mandya and Bellary), we will not slacken,” he added.

‘Moral victory’

Kumaraswamy said that his party was not adequately prepared to face the elections in Shimoga. He, however, termed the loss in the constituency as a ‘moral victory’. The JD(S) had fielded former MLA Madhu Bangarappa, who lost to BJP’s B Y Raghavendra here.

“The candidate in Shimoga was finalised in the last minute. We weren’t prepared to contest in Shimoga. But the Congress leaders suggested that the JD(S) field the candidate in the constituency. Though we have lost in Shimoga, it is a moral victory for the JD(S) here. The JD(S) candidate has lost on a narrow margin. Also, the coalition candidates in Bellary and Madya have won on record margins,” he added.

Kumaraswamy made it a point to specifically thank Congress leaders including Siddaramaiah, G Parameshwara, D K Shivakumar, R V Deshpande, Dinesh Gundu Rao and others, for their “efforts” during the elections.

His credit to the JD(S) leaders, however, came as an afterthought.