On Tuesday, five such aspirants turned up at the JDS office in Bengaluru, and four of them were welcomed by party president and former PM H D Deve Gowda.
With dozens of prospective candidates failing to secure tickets from the two major national parties — Congress and BJP — for the Karnataka Assembly polls, several of them are turning to the regional Janata Dal (Secular) for tickets.
On Tuesday, five such aspirants turned up at the JDS office in Bengaluru, and four of them were welcomed by party president and former PM H D Deve Gowda. A fifth aspirant was scheduled to hold talks with state party president H D Kumaraswamy.
P Ramesh, a Congress ticket aspirant from C V Raman Nagar constituency who lost the polls in 2008 and 2013; former BJP minister Hemachandra Sagar; Congress leaders G H Ramachandra and Hanumantharayappa officially joined the JDS on Tuesday.
The entry of Ramachandra also brought to the JDS his niece — Kannada film actress Amulya. Hanumantharayappa is the father of former IAS officer D K Ravi, who committed suicide in controversial circumstances in 2015.
K B Prasanna Kumar — an aspirant for a Congress ticket to Bengaluru Pulakeshinagar constituency who lost out to JDS MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy who joined the Congress — is scheduled to join JDS after holding talks with Kumaraswamy.
“This is a happy day for JDS because many prominent leaders have joined the party. Day by day the strength of the party is increasing. I am sure people will bless Kumaraswamy. I am a believer in divine powers and this time the party will come to power,’’ Deve Gowda said, adding that he expected others to join the JDS over the next few days.
Youth Congress leader Mithun Rai, who wanted a ticket from Moodubidri in coastal Karnataka but was unhappy when the Congress opted for sitting MLA Abhaychandra Jain, is reportedly in talks with the JDS leadership.
“Looking at the developments, the JDS can win 12-13 of 28 seats in Bengaluru,’’ Deve Gowda said.
While the ruling Congress has released a list of 218 candidates for the 224 seats in Karnataka, renominating 110 of its 122 MLAs, the BJP has nominated 154 candidates, including most of its 44 sitting MLAs.
The JDS released a list of 132 candidates way back in November 2017 and is now looking to capitalise on disgruntled members from the Congress and BJP to field in the May 12 polls.
The JDS is not realistically in a position to achieve a simple majority of 113 seats on its own, as it has lost ground in recent years. The party is restricted mainly to southern Karnataka, where it enjoys the support of the Vokkaliga community, to which Deve Gowda belongs, and is involved in a direct fight with Congress in 65 seats in the region. In 2013, the party won 19 per cent of the votes and 40 seats — mostly in southern Karnataka.
The number of JDS MLAs has recently dwindled to 30, with seven shifting to Congress, including prominent Muslim leaders. The JDS is now banking on AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi to generate support among minorities. The MIM has said it will not field candidates but will support the JDS.