JD(S) focuses on expanding its base beyond Mysuru

Mangaluru: JD(S) is concentrating on expanding its influence beyond the Old Mysuru region and has set its sights on the North Karnataka districts ahead of the upcoming elections.

In a bid to increase its numbers and come to power, the party has identified constituencies in the region where it had lost narrowly or won in previous years.

In the 2018 election, JD(S) won five seats in North Karnataka including 2 in Raichur (Manvi and Sindhanur) and one each in Vijayapura (Nagthan) Bidar (Bidar South) and Yadgir (Gurmitkal).

In as many as 9 other constituencies the JD(S) candidates had stood second.
In some of these the party had lost by a very narrow margin like Devar Hipparagi by 3,253 votes, Basavana Bagewadi by 3,186 votes, Lingsugur by 4,946 votes and Indi by 9,938 votes.

To fulfill its aim of expanding its base, the party is now concentrating on those constituencies in North Karnataka that it had lost by a narrow margin and those which it had won a few years ago. The party leaders have listed out all these constituencies and have chalked out strategies to win them.

"The general thinking is that our party is strong only in the Old Mysuru region. But the figures prove that we are also strong in North Karnataka. During the Pancharatna Yatra of HD Kumaraswamy, we got a good response from the people in the region. We have got indications that our party will increase the number in Kalyana Karnataka and Kittur Karnataka region," JD(S) spokesperson MB Sadashiva told Deccan Chronicle.

"We have identified winning candidates in all these constituencies and will field candidates who have good chances of winning. Our party organization is strong here and there is no confusion," he added.

The party is eyeing at least three seats in the coastal district of Uttara Kannada district. In the last election, the party candidate stood second in Karwar constituency.