Bengaluru: Fearing that the two national parties-Congress and BJP- will hijack its poll manifesto and even its candidates if the names are released early, the JD(S) on Thursday decided to hold back its candidates list and manifesto for the 2018 Assembly polls, which were due to be released by the month end.
Speaking to reporters after the Core Committee and Legislature Party meeting, JD(S) supremo Mr H.D. Deve Gowda said that the party was the biggest victim of ‘Operation Kamala’ undertaken by the BJP to get leaders from rival parties into its fold. This time too, both national parties are witnessing a shortage of credible candidates to field during the coming elections. If the JD(S) releases its candidate list now, national parties are sure to poach party workers with credibility, he said.
Earlier, party state president H.D. Kumaraswamy said the list was ready and it was with the party’s national president. It was left to his experience and discretion to decide when it should be released, he said.
Thursday’s meeting deliberated on the party manifesto too and it was decided to concentrate on its core commitments – irrigation, problems of the common people, minorities and women. If the manifesto is released now, national parties would hijack the issues highlighted in them, so, it was decided not to reveal any of the new issues the party would be taking up during the next elections, he said.
Meanwhile, the party is trying to gets its caste combination right for the elections. Former Minister A.H. Vishwanath, who recently joined the party has been given the responsibility of organising the OBC community. An OBC rally will be organised in Mysuru, the party is holding a series of rallies for farmers (Vijayapura), women (Bengaluru), minorities (Raichur), SC/STs (Tumakuru) and youth (Haveri or Hubballi). Party youth leader Madhu Bangarappa will start his state-wide tour to organise youth from Yadgir from Friday, Mr Kumaraswamy said.
He said that in view of communal violence in Dakshina Kannada, the JD(S) would be organising a peace march from Bantwal to Mangaluru in a week.
