Bengaluru: JD(S) helping BJP in eight seats? Candidates list says it all

Bengaluru: If the first list of its candidates for the December byelections is anything to go by, the Janata Dal (Secular) appears to be helping the ruling BJP win in at least eight constituencies.

Take Hunsur, where the JD(S) candidate, Somashekar, seems a novice against former MLA A.H. Vishwanath fielded by the BJP and former MLA, Manjunath contesting on a Congress ticket.

The JD(S) had won the 2018 assembly polls from the constituency mainly because of the popularity of Mr Vishwanath, who was then a member of its party. The people also seemed to want to defeat Mr Manjunath, who had contested then too, as he was a loyalist of former CM Siddaramaiah This time, Mr Somashekhar has hardly 15 days to reach out to the voters and party supremo, H D Deve Gowda and former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy may not be able to help him out much as they have to campaign in 14 other constituencies.

K R Pete is perhaps the only constituency, where the JD(S) has a good chance of winning as its candidate, Devaraj is a popular face here and owing to its own strong presence in the region. Moreover, the BJP has no base in Mandya district and CM B.S. Yediyurappa, who is from Bookanakere village in K R Pete taluk, will have to appeal to voters on behalf of its candidate, Narayana Gowda.. Although the Congress has so far not announced its candidate for K R Pete, its believed that it may field Mr Suresh Gowda from it.

“The JD(S) can defeat the BJP in K R Pete if it makes an honest effort instead of doing adjustment politics with the Congress or the BJP," said a party functionary of its local unit.