HD Kumaraswamy's ‘game plan’ for gram panchayat polls in Mysuru region

All recent political developments in Mysuru region, as of now, are related to Gram Panchayat (GP) elections. Thus, JD(S), which is a major player in the region, has begun a new game plan to regain its hold. Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy knows well that rivalry with the Congress, rather than the BJP, yields good results for his party, here.

It is not the first time that former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy blamed Opposition Leader Siddaramaiah for the fall of his JD(S)-Congress coalition government. But, this time, a formal invitation was extended for a media conference, held last week, on December 5, Saturday, where he made the allegations against Siddaramaiah. Besides, why Mysuru for these formal allegations? Only the previous day, he had addressed a media conference in Mandya but did not speak anything to this effect.

In the Legislative Council also, the JD(S) supported the BJP in passing the amendment to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act (1961), that allowed non-agriculturists to buy agricultural lands in Karnataka, inviting the wrath of both Congress and farmers organisations.

Both JD(S) and its leaders are famous for their unorganised and uncourteous ways. It has to be noted that this is the first time, that an invitation for a media conference was extended by a JD(S) spokesperson, on behalf of his leader, by messaging on a group. Otherwise, the attitude of the JD(S) top leaders is that, if they give bytes to a couple of TV channels and websites, the rest of the media organisations should followup.

A senior JD(S) leader said, “Our party knows well, that we cannot win enough seats to form a government on our own, in general elections. We do not take byelections seriously, unless a member of our first family, that is of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, contests. The byelection of Anitha Kumaraswamy in Ramanagara can be recalled.”

“Otherwise, our leaders do not deem it worth to invest funds and energy on a byelection. Now, that the GP elections are scheduled to be held on December 22 and 27, there is a need to energise party workers. Besides, GP polls are the election of the party workers, who are the main strength of JD(S),” the leader added.

Another JD(S) leader said, “Even though the BJP is the ruling party in the state, it does not have grassroots level workers in Mysuru region, especially in rural areas. Despite BJP vice-president B Y Vijayendra and district in-charge ministers are doing their mite to strengthen the party base, they cannot match the JD(S), whose supporters blindly follow either former prime minister H D Deve Gowda or Kumaraswamy.”

“Hassan is an exceptional case. There it is Deve Gowda and H D Revanna. Traditionally, it is the fight between the JD(S) and Congress. In fact, the recent infusion of strength into the BJP will split the votes of the Congress, thus, helping the JD(S),” he said.

Another JD(S) leader bets on the Vokkaliga loyalty of the supporters to the party top leaders. “Thus, confronting either Siddaramaiah or KPCC president D K Shivakumar will help the party prospects. It has to be recalled that the drubbing of the Congress in the 2018 Assembly polls was a result of the bad-mouthing of JD(S) leaders by Siddaramaiah. Besides, at a time when Shivakumar is trying to emerge as an alternative Vokkaliga leader, evoking sympathy is a strategy,” he said.