JD(S) councillors’ defection to Congress won’t affect Channapatna bypoll prospects, claims JD(S)

The defection of Janata Dal (Secular) councillors in Channapatna Municipal Council ahead of the bypolls to Channapatna Assembly constituency seems to have altered the power equation there, but the regional party insists that it will not affect its polls prospects.

The bypolls have been necessitated owing to the resignation of Mr. Kumaraswamy, who has been elected as MP from Mandya Lok Sabha constituency.

Display of clout

In what is being seen as the display of clout by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and his brother D.K. Suresh, a former MP from Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency, 13 of the 16 JD(S) councillors have joined the Congress. Since two third members have left the regional party, they have ducked anti-defection laws. In the 31-member Council, the JD(S) had 16 members, the BJP and the Congress seven each, while an Independent had also been elected.

JD(S) sources said the party was not worried over the defection of its councillors since they had already identified with the Congress. “As many as 10 councillors had identified with the Congress for past several months and they had worked for the Congress candidate in the election. The numbers increased to 13 in recent times and they officially defected,” sources said. A party leader pointed out that many of the councillors had been funded by Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, who was the Channapatna legislator when the election to council was held in 2021. “We believe party workers will not move behind the leaders,” said the source.

Mr. Shivakumar and Mr. Kumaraswamy have been engaged in verbal duel over Channapatna developments ahead of the bypolls, with the bypolls emerging as an ego issue between the two. The constituency falls in the home district of Ramanagara of Mr. Shivakumar and he has been vocal about the importance he has been giving to the bypolls. The fact that Mr. Suresh lost in the Lok Sabha polls to Mr. Kumaraswamy’s brother-in-law and BJP candidate C.N. Manjunath, a cardiologist, only intensified this rivalry.

Mr. Shivakumar, who laid foundation stones to a slew of works in Channapatna on Saturday, refused to comment when asked if the Congress was engineering defections in Channapatna.

Meanwhile, the bypolls are expected to be announced along with Maharashtra Assembly elections, party sources said. “As many as 17 byelections are to be held in the country, including the three in Karnataka.”

Who will get ticket?

On who will get Channapatna ticket between the alliance partners, JD(S) sources said that though BJP MLC C.P Yogeshwar has been seeking ticket, they are confident of their party candidate getting an opportunity to contest “with full support from the BJP.”

Published - September 21, 2024 09:28 pm IST