In Karnataka, JD(S) struggles to keep its flock together

By Aravinda Gowda

Bangalore: The JD(S) in Karnataka is grappling with a problem of massive proportions. Just when the party was looking to staging a revival of sorts by putting up a decent performance in the general elections, it has been struck by defections. So far, two official candidates of the JD(S) have been poached by the Congress, while the BJP has managed to neutralise the JD(S) to its advantage in one parliamentary segment.

While poaching of leaders from opposition parties during elections is commonplace what is raising eyebrows is entire party units in either a particular assembly segment or in the entire parliamentary constituency switching loyalty, reducing party candidates to a laughing stock.

The poaching operation began during the nomination filing period itself. The Congress made its first move in the Koppal constituency, where the JD(S) wanted to field its Gangavati MLA Iqbal Ansari. The JD(S) dispatched the ‘B-form’ to Ansari and asked him to field any other candidate of his choice, if he did not want to contest. However, the Congress did not want the JD(S) to cut into the minorities votes in the constituency by fielding Ansari – it is a move that would benefit the BJP. On the last day of filing the nomination, neither Ansari nor any candidate of the JD(S) proposed by him filed the nomination, leaving the field open for a direct fight between the Congress and the BJP in Koppal.

Even before the JD(S) supreme leader HD Deve Gowda could recover from the first shock of not fielding a candidate from Koppal, another surprise was in store. The party’s candidate from Uttara Kannada constituency, Shivanand Naik rejoined the BJP blaming Gowda of not keeping his promise of funding his poll expenditure. To make matters worse, he returned to the BJP after filing the nomination papers from Uttara Kannada, where Karnataka’s Higher Education Minister RV Deshpande’s son Prashant is facing BJP MP Ananth Kumar Hegde.

Shivanand Naik is a leader of the Idiga and his presence in the electoral fray would have hurt the Congress in terms of backward classes as well as minority votes. The JD(S) had bright prospects of throwing up a surprise. Not to make it obvious, Naik said that he was not supporting any political party and would announce his future political move only after the elections.

The worst shock came from Belgaum, where the Congress has fielded Lakshmi Hebbalkar against the sitting BJP MP Suresh Angadi. Most of the top state Congressmen, including Energy Minister D K Shivakumar are keen that Lakshmi wins the polls. However, the vexing factor was the JD(S) candidate Nasir Bhagwan, who would have taken away a substantial chunk of the minority votes. Ten days before the polls, Bhagwan retired from the contest and joined Congress party officially.

Similarly, Yeddyurappa, who is facing a tough contest from Geetha Shivarajkumar of the JD(S) in Shimoga, has managed to use his political acumen. The JD(S) is represented by three MLAs, including Madhu Bangarappa (Geetha’s brother), in the constituency. All that Yeddyurappa did was to neutralize the JD(S) Bhadravathi MLA Appaji Gowda, who has stayed away from campaigning for the party candidate.

In Mysore, the JD(S) units of two assembly constituencies have declared their support for the BJP. The JD(S) intended to field former Union minister CK Jaffer Sharief, who quit the Congress after he was denied a ticket. However, after Sharief decided to remain neutral, the local JD(S) leaders were wooed by the BJP. Besides, the JD(S) nomine Chandrashekaraiah was not favored by the JD(S) leaders of Mysore.

In all, the party has already lost the contest in four parliamentary constituencies even before a single vote has been polled. However, Gowda appears to be undeterred preferring not to waste any time on these constituencies and is concentrating on “winnable” segments.