Wary Congress wants JD(S) out of poll equation in Karnataka

The Congress has decided to pillory the JD(S), especially former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, amid concerns that the regional party could prevent it from crossing the simple majority mark of 113 seats in the upcoming Assembly election.

According to sources, Congress has been advised by a private research firm that it must rein in the JD(S), especially Kumaraswamy, in order to increase its tally in the Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysuru region and come close to the simple majority mark.

In the run-up to the election, Kumaraswamy has been harsh in his attack on the Congress while being temperate about the BJP.

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“Congress will definitely see to it that the fight is directly between us and BJP,” Karnataka Congress working president Saleem Ahmed told DH. “The JD(S) will try to play spoilsport. They will try to divide secular votes,” he said, claiming that there was a “secret understanding” between JD(S) and BJP.

The Old Mysuru region comprises 89 Assembly constituencies - including 28 segments in Bengaluru - making it an indispensable political geography during an election. Traditionally, Congress and JD(S) have been arch-rivals in this space, but now the BJP is looking to infiltrate aggressively.

Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar, a chief ministerial candidate should the party win, is trying to consolidate Vokkaliga votes in his favour by playing the caste card.

He has, on several occasions, appealed to voters to “help him” in that he can be the next Vokkaliga chief minister of the Congress after SM Krishna. And for Shivakumar to reach his destination, he must dodge the JD(S).

Shivakumar is also said to be supervising plans to poach JD(S) leaders in an attempt to weaken the regional party. Similar are the stakes for leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, who is eyeing another term as chief minister for which Congress needs to win, and win big in the Old Mysuru region. Siddaramaiah himself has decided to contest from Kolar this time.

At a Praja Dhwani campaign in Mandya, the Vokkaliga heartland, Siddaramaiah unleashed a barrage on the JD(S). “Don’t trust JD(S). We made Kumaraswamy the CM in 2018. But can a CM run the show from the Westend hotel? It is because he did not treat MLAs properly that 17 of them joined BJP,” he said, referring to the collapse of the JD(S)-Congress coalition.