Putting an end to weeks of speculation, the Janata Dal (Secular) on Tuesday, March 26, named its state President and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy as the candidate for the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency where a high voltage poll battle is expected. It also cleared Prajwal Revanna for Hassan seat.
The party that had hard bargained with the BJP for the Kolar Lok Sabha reserved constituency is yet to name the candidate. Though the defeated candidate in Bangarpet constituency in the recently held Assembly elections Mallesh Babu was the front runner, party sources indicated that discussions are still going on. The names of Mulabagilu legislator Samruddhi Manjunath and former Devanahalli legislator Nisarga Narayanswamy is being considered. The candidate to contest from Kolar will also be announced on Tuesday, sources said.
However, speaking to presspersons in Hassan on Tuesday, JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda declared Mallesh Babu as the candidate for Kolar. He also said Kumaraswamy had to contest because of the pressure from the people of Mandya. “More than Kumaraswamy, it is people of Mandya, who want him to contest from there. Members of the core committee also suggested that he contest,” he said.
