JD(S) ready to give tickets to more women: H D Deve Gowda

JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Thursday said his party was ready to field nine women as candidates out of 28 assembly constituencies in Bengaluru.

“Many of you are graduates, but are fearful of losing. I’d like all of you to work in your constituencies,” Gowda, a former prime minister, told a convention of the JD(S) women leaders here.

Gowda gave a clarion call to the cadre to “save the party”, adding that this responsibility was not just his or that of his son and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy. “We need to save the party. People say the party will go once Deve Gowda is gone. Why will that happen when we have all of you,” he told party workers.

The veteran also announced his plan to link enrolment of new members into the party with the issuance of election tickets. “I will visit each and every district. Those who don’t enroll at least 25 members into the party will get the B-Form, regardless of who says what,” Gowda said.

He further cautioned party workers that they should be mindful of internal attempts to sabotage elections. “Many of our own people will try to defeat you...no one should do such things,” Gowda said.