BJP, JD(S) join hands to defeat Siddaramaiah in his home district

Bengaluru, Apr 24: The BJP and the JD(S) appear to have joined forces to take on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Congress in almost all constituencies in Mysuru district and not just Chamundeshwari.

The two Opposition parties have decided to help each other to defeat the Congress in the district, which currently holds eight out the 11 Assembly segments. While the JD(S) had bagged three seats in the 2013 elections, the BJP could not even garner one seat. But, this does not negate the saffron party’s presence in the district.

The party, in fact, gained momentum in the district, especially after BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa’s son B Y Vijayendra decided to contest against Siddaramaiah’s son Dr Yathindra from Varuna seat.

Though Vijayendra’s fate hangs in balance of now, the JD(S) has entered into a tacit understanding with the BJP to ensure the latter’s victory in Varuna.

The party has even gone to the extent of changing its candidate to facilitate the BJP’s victory. The JD(S) which had fielded Abhishek, now wants to field a Muslim candidate, Sajid.

“The decision has been taken to ensure Yathindra’s defeat in Varuna. The JD(S) had not strengthened the constituency. So, it was decided to help the BJP,” said party sources.

The JD(S) move is in reciprocation to the BJP’s support to its candidate G T Devegowda in the Vokkaliga-dominant Chamundeshwari, from where Siddaramaiah has filed his nomination. The BJP had earlier wanted to field Hemanth Gowda, a Vokkaliga from there. After it came to fore that Hemanth Gowda would eat into a sizable chunk of Vokkaliga votes, the BJP fielded a Brahim, Gopal Rao, to facilitate the JD(S) candidate’s victory.

The BJP also changed its candidate in K R Nagar. It had earlier thought of fielding Hosahalli Venkatesh (a Vokkaliga), but later decided to field Shwetha Gopal, to help JD(S) candidate and sitting MLA Sa Ra Mahesh. Else, there would have been a close contest between Mahesh and Congress candidate D Ravishankar.

In Periyapatna, the BJP wanted to field Ganesh (who had taken 28,000 votes in the previous polls), but has now fielded S Manjunath, to help JD(S) candidate K Mahadev. As Manjunath is a Kuruba, the two parties hope that his candidature will cut into the Kuruba votes, denting Congress MLA K Venkatesh’s prospects. The segment is dominated by Kurubas and Vokkaligas.

The same strategy has been adopted in Hunsur, H D Kote and Chamaraja segments, where the BJP had fielded “weak” candidates.

The JD(S) for itts part has decided to help the BJP in Krishnaraja, where the saffron party has fielded S A Ramdas. Krishnaraja is currently held by Congress MLA M K Somashekar.