Bengaluru: Having warned the Congress against taking it for granted with much chest thumping of its own in the face of its recent challenges, the Janata Dal (S) on Friday made it clear that it was prepared to go it alone in the coming parliamentary elections and would not compromise on the seats of its choice in the event of a tie-up with its coalition partner.
While PWD Minister H.D. Revanna asserted the party was ready to go it alone in the coming Lok Sabha polls, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said that though such a situation may not arise, the party would not compromise on Mandya constituency.
Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Mr Revanna warned the Congress that the JD(S) was ready for a triangular fight in the coming elections.
“Mr Deve Gowda (party supremo) will decide on seat sharing and his decision will be final. The party is ready both for seat sharing and going it alone in the parliamentary elections,” he said.
But toning down his party's rhetoric, Mr Kumaraswamy said while he did not anticipate a triangular fight in the coming poll, there was no question of his party giving up Mandya.
“Mandya is a strong JD(S) bastion. The people of the constituency have built the party. We cannot go against the wishes of our people here just like in Channapatna and Ramanagar," he contended.
Asked about Ms Sumalatha, wife of the late actor-politician Ambarish, being wooed by some in the Congress to contest from Mandya, Mr Kumaraswamy said it was left to her to decide. "She is free to take a decision. I cannot answer that question,'' he maintained. The chief minister, however, came out strongly against "petty politics" being played on Mandya and media speculation on the possible candidate. "A leading newspaper reported that free tickets were being distributed for Nikhil's movie in Mandya to ensure his popularity in the constituency. I am not saying this as a chief minister but as a father that Nikhil has done well in the movie, which is also doing well. I know who is planting such stories and it is very petty," he deplored, adding, "Besides, neither Nikhil, nor I have said that he will contest from Mandya. Even the family of Ambarish has not said anything. But the media comes up with such reports. We will not field anyone just because the media wants us to. During the last elections, the media said Prajwal(Revanna) would contest from Rajarajeshwari Nagar, but we did not give him the ticket.”
