JD(S) leader and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy
Credit: DH Photo/S K Dinesh
Bengaluru: With BJP's CP Yogeshwar joining Congress to contest the Channapatna bypoll, pressure is mounting on JD(S) leader and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy to choose between his son Nikhil and local party worker Jayamuthu for the ticket.
A marathon meeting with party workers and leaders from Channapatna did not help Kumaraswamy come to a conclusion on Wednesday. A meeting with alliance partner BJP on Wednesday evening was cancelled as well.
Soon after it became clear that Yogeshwar would join Congress, JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda summoned Kumaraswamy and Nikhil for talks.
According to the sources, members of the Gowda family are not ready to field Nikhil. However, party workers want Nikhil to get the Channapatna ticket.
"It was almost final that Jayamuthu's name would be announced. But party workers agitated in favour of Nikhil. They told Kumaraswmay that the party needs a stronger candidate to fight Yogeshwar," a source close to the Gowda family said.
It is learnt that even Nikhil -- he has lost two elections on the trot -- is not keen and prefers Jayamuthu. "Now Kumaraswamy is in a dilemma as he'll have to the anguish of party workers if Jayamuthu gets the ticket. Plus, Nikhil has told Deve Gowda that he is not ready," the source said.
Kumaraswamy is believed to be working out various political calculations. "There's a Congress government, which is a plus point for them. Also, we may not get many Muslim votes due to our alliance with the BJP. And, a section of BJP leaders is working against us," the union minister is said to have discussed with his confidants.
If JD(S) loses Channapatna, a seat Kumaraswmay held before his election as the Mandya MP, then the regional party will have no lawmaker in the entire Ramanagara district, which is credited with helping Deve Gowda become the chief minister.
Whoever Kumaraswamy may pick as the candidate, the real battle will be between him and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Moreover, Shivakumar is trying to avenge his brother DK Suresh's defeat in the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha segment against Kumaraswamy's brother-in-law.