Bengaluru: The Janata Dal (Secular), which is having to contend with hostile local Congress workers and an unexpected challenge from Ms Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of the late actor/politician, M H Ambareesh, has pulled out all the tricks in its bag to make sure that Chief Minister, H D Kumaraswamy’s son, Nikhil, has a successful launch from Mandya this Lok Sabha poll. Strategies are being worked out with the help of three ministers, its seven MLAs and three MLCs to ensure his victory.
The JD(S), which had hoped for an easy win based on its performance in the 2018 Assembly polls when it had netted all seven seats in the district, has had to re-think its strategy in the face of the sympathy wave for Ms Sumalatha in the constituency.
Sources close to minor irrigation minister, C S Puttaraju say the Chief Minister has held several rounds of talks with all his party leaders and given them various jobs , including checking her popularity. The party has reportedly decided not to depend on the local Congress leaders, who are reluctant to work for Mr Nikhil and instead assigned its seven MLAs to accompany him during his roadshows and roadside meetings in their constituencies. The legislators have been strictly told to stay back in their respective constituencies till the voting is completed.
Sources reveal that under a massive people's contact programme every Janata Dal (Secular) worker will have to hold a door-to-door campaign in over 2000 villages in the constituency and ministers Puttaraju, D C Thammanna and Sa Ra Mahesh have been given responsibility of the overall arrangements.
Three members of the state Legislative Council have been told to highlight the measures taken for the welfare of graduates and teachers by the state government and JD(S) ministers from other districts too have been asked to visit Mandya to campaign for Mr Nikhil, they add.
