Karnataka bypolls: Nikhil Kumaraswamy's loss fuels 'desertion' buzz by JD(S) lawmakers

Bengaluru: With the JD(S) arguably facing its worst crisis, speculation is rife that the regional party's 'disgruntled' lawmakers may jump ship.

After JD(S) scion Nikhil Kumaraswamy tasted defeat in the Channapatna bypoll -- it was his third consecutive loss after Mandya (2019) and Ramanagara (2023) -- the regional party's tally in the Assembly is down to 18.

On Monday, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and newly-elected Channapatna Congress MLA CP Yogeshwar added fuel to the speculation that JD(S) may suffer desertion.

"We don't know what the next move by JD(S) will be. They (MLAs) may go to BJP or come to Congress. They'll look for their survival," Rao told reporters. Rao lashed out at the HD Deve Gowda family for "selfish" politics. "Has the family ever nourished the growth of an outsider? There’s no trust."

Yogeshwar is said to have told Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar that he is willing to bring JD(S) MLAs into the grand old party if necessary.

Asked about him taking the lead if JD(S) MLAs want to join Congress, Yogeshwar said: "I'll meet them at the Belagavi session. I'll discuss this with them." Yogeshwar was clearer when he told a news channel that he can bring JD(S) MLAs into Congress within a month's time.

In fact, Yogeshwar is no stranger to this. When he was with the BJP, Yogeshwar is widely believed to have played a big role in engineering defections that brought down the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in 2019.

In November last year, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy had accused Shivakumar of trying to lure JD(S) MLAs.

Meanwhile, expelled JD(S) state president CM Ibrahim claimed that 12-13 MLAs in the regional party are disgruntled. He held talks with senior JD(S) lawmaker GT Deve Gowda.

On inducting GT Deve Gowda into Congress, Shivakumar said: "He's a senior leader who has contributed significantly to the JD(S). In the past, we had asked him to join Congress. But he stayed on after Kumaraswamy made him promises. GT Deve Gowda must be sad to see how he's treated in the party."