Karnataka bypolls: JD(S) names candidates for Ramanagara, Mandya; Congress yet to finalise Ballari nominee

BENGALURU: The JD(S) finalized candidates for Mandya Lok Sabha seat and Ramanagara assembly segment on Sunday while its coalition partner Congress is still struggling to select a candidate for Ballari even as just two days is left for filing nominations.

JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda on Sunday announced that former MLA L R Shivaramegowda and Anitha, wife of chief minister H D Kumaraswamy will be JD(S) candidates for Mandya and Ramanagara respectively.

The decision came after Gowda held a marathon meeting with chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, minister C S Puttaraju and MLAs of Mandya district. This has left former bureaucrat Lakshmi Ashwin Gowda, who was tipped as a frontrunner for Mandya seat, fuming. Lakshmi had declared herself as a candidate for Mandya soon after Puttaraju resigned after winning assembly seat, claiming that Gowda had promised her the seat.

Shivaramegowda and Anitha are expected to file papers on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Swaraj India party is contemplating fielding Sunita, wife of late farmer leader K S Puttannaiah from Mandya. If that happens, the JD(S) could face a stiff fight as Puttannaiah’s party enjoys considerable support in the district. A section of Congress leaders including former minister N Chaluvarayaswamy, who are unhappy over Congress leaving the seat to Mandya, may back Sunita.

“A decision on fielding Sunita will be taken on Monday,” said Shambunahalli Suresh, Mandya district president of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha.

Meanwhile, the Congress has reportedly taken a final call on gifting Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat to JD(S). Confirming this to TOI, Shivamogga JD(S) district president R M Manjunatha Gowda said Madhu Bangarappa will be the party candidate. Madhu who is returning to Shivamogga from his foreign tour is expected to file papers on Monday or Tuesday sources said.

As per the earlier pact, the Congress had got the seat but had to gift it to JD(S) as no Congress leader from Shivamogga district evinced interest to fight an election.

NO DECISION YET ON BALLARI CANDIDATE: Meanwhile, the Congress is still struggling to reach consensus among its MLAs from Ballari over the selection of the candidate for Ballari Lok Sabha seat.

According to sources, the MLAs are divided over the matter with MLAs B Nagendra, Bheema Naik and others backing Nagendra’s elder brother Venkatesh Prasad, Hosapete MLA Anand Singh and others are opposing Prasad’s name on the ground that Nagendra will have an upper hand in the district politics if his brother manages to win the seat. A compromise candidate party MLC V S Ugrappa can be the dark horse.

KPCC working president Eshwara Khandre though had said that the party will finalize the candidate by Sunday evening, that did not happen.