With party’s stability at stake, JD(S) locks stables before horses flee

Desperate to keep its head above water, the H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S), which aims to win 123 seats in the Assembly polls, is trying to retain its winnable candidates, some of whom are at the exit gates.

Gowda himself emerged from his phase of ill health to block attempts of the Congress and BJP to poach his party’s winning candidates.

Recently, the former prime minister succeeded in retaining G T Devegowda (GTD), the giant killer who defeated Congress’ Siddaramaiah in the 2018 elections. The Chamundeshwari MLA was on his way to the Congress.

Retaining incumbent/winnable candidates is crucial for the JD(S) to survive, especially in the old Mysore region where it faces a resurgent Congress and an expansionist BJP.

According to sources close to GTD, he changed his mind only because it was H D Deve Gowda.

Read | Stronger laws needed to stem the rot of defection

GTD told DH that he got convinced only because H D Deve Gowda visited him personally.

“Despite his health issues, when Doddavru (HDD) came all the way to my residence, I could not refuse,” he said.

“Even when he was ill, I did not visit him. But, he has no such ego. If it was not for Doddavru, my decision to quit the party would not have changed. Moreover, we both share a good bonding and I could not say no when he requested,” GTD said.

Gowda, the partiarch, has made GTD in charge of the Mysuru region. The latter has candidates for six seats - GTD himself for Chamundeshwari, his son G T Harish Gowda for Hunsur, Jayaprakash in HD Kote, sitting MLAs Sa Ra Mahesh for K R Nagar, K Mahadev in Piriyapatna and M Ashwin Kumar in T Narasipur.

According to JD(S) leaders, efforts have begun to win over Y S V Datta, A T Ramaswamy and K M Shivalinge Gowda, who have kept themselves away from party activities.

It is said that the Congress is trying to poach Shivalinge Gowda, the Arsikere MLA who has won twice on the JD(S) ticket. Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, one of the party’s scions, has been tasked with talking to Shivalinge Gowda.

“Both H D Revanna and Prajwal Revanna are in touch with Shivalinge Gowda. We’re confident of retaining him in the party,” JD(S) MLC K A Thippeswamy, convener of the party’s core committee, said. Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy is coordinating with Datta and Ramaswamy, both senior leaders.

If necessary, patriarch Deve Gowda will personally speak with them, a party leader said.

“The leaders are not just trying to retain winning candidates, they are also struggling to convince party workers as the latter are not ready to work with candidates who have announced their exit or have maintained distance from the party,” sources said.

In the 2018 assembly polls, JD(S) won 37 constituencies. At present, the party has 31 MLAs.

Apart from efforts to retain prospective candidates, JD(S) is also trying its luck in wooing those unhappy with BJP and Congress.

One such candidate is Congress’ Yusuf Sharif, aka KGF Babu. JD(S) sources confirmed to DH that he recently met the party’s senior leaders for the Chickpet constituency ticket.

Through JD(S) state president C M Ibrahim, the party is trying to get some credible candidates from minority communities.

“There are candidates who were ignored by BJP and Congress. There are reports that BJP will not give tickets to some of its sitting MLAs who are capable of winning without depending on the party’s symbol. Such rebel candidates will be our pick,” a senior leader said.

Vengeful as politics can be, one JD(S) leader said the party is searching for strong candidates to contest against those who “betrayed” the party.