JD(S) takes BJP by surprise, fields another candidate

Bengaluru: Pre-empting the BJP, which was planning to field a second candidate in the legislative council poll with its support, the JDS fielded another candidate of its own on Monday.     

While the BJP was planning to field either Mr Lehar Singh or Mr Katta Subrahmanya Naidu as its second candidate and see them elected to the upper House with JDS help, Monday saw the JDS itself field two candidates, Narayanaswamy from Hassan and Dr Venkatapathi from Hoskote  for the coming council  poll. The party's candidate for the Rajya Sabha, Mr Farook, also filed his nomination on Monday.  

The JDS now hopes to capture two of the seven  Legislative Council seats with the BJP’s help in return for its support for its candidate in  the last elections to the  upper House. Speaking to reporters here, JDS state president H.D. Kumaraswamy said  he would talk to BJP leaders in a day or two about the council poll.

Expressing strong displeasure against party MLA, Zameer Ahamed Khan, for openly revolting against it, he said, “I think the time has come to take action against Mr Zameer Ahamed. Please wait for a few more days. No one is above the party. Many people have left  it and the party has still survived. The rebel leader himself  once rightly said that this party manufactured political leaders.”

About party general secretar, Danish Ali, who has threatened to “expose” the wrongdoings in the party, if he was denied a ticket for the council poll, Mr Kumaraswamy said he had made   no significant contribution to the party in the state.  “He has not spoken to me. He must have spoken to our party national president, H D Deve Gowda,” he added.

Mr Kumaraswamy, however, revealed that Mr Ali had claimed to have the assurance of Mr Sitharam Yechuri that the Congress would not field a third candidate, if he contested. “But I told him a mere assurance from Mr Yechuri would not  suffice. Since then, he has not called,”  he said.