Bengaluru, 26 March

Giving enough indication about him contesting the Lok Sabha polls from the Mandya constituency, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said an official announcement about the party's candidates from the three segments that it will be contesting in Karnataka will be made soon.

To save the party and to strengthen its roots, the people of Mandya want him to contest from there, the former chief minister said, as he called the district the "heart of JD(S)".

JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda too separately indicated about Kumaraswamy contesting from Mandya. "At the core committee they have authorised me to make a final decision on candidates for Kolar and Mandya seats. In Mandya as to who will be the candidate, I have given enough indications. Before making the official announcement, I have called a meeting of former legislators from Mandya. After discussing with them, I will officially announce," Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters after the core committee meeting, the State JD(S) president said a final decision is also being made for the Kolar seat. "In the NDA alliance, three seats have been given to us (Kolar, Mandya and Hassan). In the next process to win the elections, I will soon be holding a meeting with BJP friends to resolve all issues and to have proper coordination," he added.

The JD(S) joined the NDA last September and has forged an electoral alliance with the BJP in Karnataka. Stating that regarding Kolar constituency, he has called a meeting of leaders from the district, Kumaraswamy said, the party has already shortlisted the names of sitting MLA Samruddhi Manjunath (Mulbagal) and former legislators -- Mallesh Babu (Bangarpet) and Nisarga Narayanaswamy (Devanahalli).

He said recently three to four more people have come forward to be the candidate, including sitting BJP MP S Muniswamy on a JD(S) ticket. "I have told him (Muniswamy) I will discuss with party leaders and decide.....he is fine with -- if he is considered or anyone else the party (JDS) decides. He will support."

Regarding Hassan seat, Deve Gowda has already taken a decision that sitting MP Prajwal Revanna will be the candidate, he said, adding that "There is no change in that."

Noting that the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha segment, especially Ramanagara district, gave him political birth, the JD(S) leader, explaining his long association with Ramanagara and Channapatna assembly segments, indicated about contesting Lok Sabha polls from Mandya calling it "the heart of JD(S)".

"Yesterday (On Monday) I had a meeting with JD(S) leaders from Channapatna. They are in pain and they say I should not abandon them. I have explained to them the unavoidable reasons because of which I have to make this decision. Some of them are disappointed," Kumaraswamy, who is currently MLA from Channapatna, said.

Highlighting Mandya district's contribution in giving political strength to him and his party, Kumaraswamy said the party's strength has deteriorated in Mandya for some time now, and the people and JD(S) workers want him there for the development of the district and growth of the party. "To save the party and to strengthen its roots, people of Mandya have ordered me to come to Mandya," he said, as he assured that he will never neglect people or abandon party workers from Ramanagara and Channapatna Assembly constituencies.

Multilingual actress turned-politician Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent candidate backed by the BJP, had won the Mandya seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, by defeating JD(S)'s Nikhil Kumaraswamy. She had sought BJP's ticket for re-election from the seat.

Kumaraswamy said the party had planned to field his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy or former MP CS Puttaraju from Mandya. But people there are putting pressure on him to contest or wanted Nikhil to do so.  He said, however, Nikhil has decided not to contest after facing defeat twice (from Mandya Lok Sabha seat in 2019 and Ramanagara Assembly seat in 2023). "He doesn't want to hurry, and wants to focus on building the party across the State."

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Hassan, Deve Gowda, responding to a question, said, more than Kumaraswamy, people from Mandya wanted him there. "People and party workers want him to contest there, even in today's core committee meeting, leaders have said the same thing, this is the situation," he said, indicating that Mallesh Babu would be the candidate from Kolar.

The general elections in Karnataka will be held in two phases on 26 April and 7 May for 28 constituencies.