Spitting fire in Bengaluru but pals in Shikaripur
Kumaraswamy party joins hands with B.S. Yeddyurappa party for Shikaripur bypoll
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-08-16 06:35 GMT
Bengaluru: While JD(S) leader , H D Kumaraswamy is engaged in a pitched battle with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over KPSC appointments, his party has joined hands with the Congress to take on former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa in the Shikaripur bypoll. While the JD(S) had recorded an impressive performance in Shimoga, winning three seats and putting up a good fight in Shikaripur during the last Assembly election, its joy was shortlived as it fared dismally in the last parliamentary elections.
Despite fielding a strong candidate Geetha Shivaraj Kumar, the JDS finished a poor third. Worse, it could not register a lead in its strongholds of Bhadravati and Shimoga rural.
The other factor influencing its decision to lean on the Congress is the over two decades old power struggle in Shimoga between the Bangarappas and Mr Yeddyurappa which has pitted the Idigas against the Lingayat. With no candidate, the JD(S) had to choose between the lesser of two evils, BJP and Congress and settled for the latter.