1. Janata Dal State president and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is likely to be officially announced as Mandya candidate today. Nominees for Hassan and Kolar Lok Sabha constituencies too would be announced after the party’s core election committee meeting. The party is likely to name Prajwal Revanna, MP and son of former Minister H.D. Revanna, for the Hassan seat, and Mallesh Babu, the party’s unsuccessful candidate from Bangarpet in the 2023 Assembly elections, for Kolar constituency. In the seat-sharing agreement with BJP, the JD(S) will contest in three constituencies and the saffron party will contest in 25 seats. Leaders from Channapatna, which Mr. Kumaraswamy currently represents in the Assembly, have been divided over Mr. Kumaraswamy contesting from Mandya.
2. It remains to be seen if Mandya will have other spinoff developments. For instance, the moves of the incumbent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, who was keen to re-contest on a BJP ticket, are being keenly watched. It is speculated that BJP leader K.C. Narayana Gowda, who had already distanced himself from the BJP, is likely to quit.
3. Deputy Chief Minsiter D.K. Shivakumar is on a ‘temple run’ in coastal Karnataka and Malnad regions. Today, he is visiting Dharmasthala, Kukke, Kollur and Sringeri, besides Gokarna tomorrow. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is taking a break at a resort near H.D. Kote near Mysuru.
