Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: Deve Gowda in touch with winnable candidates

The JD(S) patriarch even held a meeting with sitting Chamundeshwari MLA G T Deve Gowda and tasked him with keeping a watch over candidates in the Mysuru region

JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda is said to be in touch with the party’s winnable candidates to make sure they do not defect.

Sources close to Gowda confirmed to DH that he has personally reached out to all the winnable candidates and sitting MLAs requesting them not to desert JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy. Gowda has assured winnable candidates that they would be given preference if JD(S) forms the government.

Gowda reached out to winnable candidates on Thursday and Friday nights.

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He even held a meeting with sitting Chamundeshwari MLA G T Deve Gowda and tasked him with keeping a watch over candidates in the Mysuru region. Similarly, Gowda has asked his son and Holenarsipur MLA H D Revanna to monitor the situation in Hassan district.

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“We lost three MLAs to Operation Lotus in 2019. This time we have taken precautionary measures and Gowda himself contacted the winnable candidates,” said a senior leader of the party.

In 2019, JD(S) MLAs K Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout), H Vishwanath (Hunsur) and K C Narayana Gowda (K R Pet) defected to the BJP.