BENGALURU: It was a day of happy tidings for JD(S) on Sunday as Congress agreed to give up the Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat for JD(S) to contest in the November 3 bypoll. Congress also succeeded in quellling the rebellion in its Ramangara unit and convinced its party leaders to work for the victory of JD(S) candidate in Ramanagara Assembly constituency.
Madhu Bangarappa, son of former Chief Minister S Bangarappa, will take on B Y Raghavendra, son of another former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in the Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency. "Madhu will file his nomination as the JD(S) candidate in Shivamogga on Monday. He will fight this battle as the candidate of the Congress-JD(S) combine. Congress leadership has given this seat to JD(S) with a determination to put up a united fight to defeat BJP," Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said on Sunday.
Though Congress was allotted the Shivamogga seat as per the poll pact with JD(S), the party decided to hand it over to JD(S) due to its failure to find a strong candidate to take on BJP. Madhu Bangarappa is seen as the best bet to take on BJP and the coalition partners have decided to conduct joint campaign in Shivamogga.
Meanwhile, JD(S) also announced former legislator LR Shivarame Gowda as its candidate for the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency. The selection of Shivarame Gowda seat is being seen as part of JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda's strategy to pre-empt rebellion in JD(S) and also to further marginalise former minister N Cheluvarayaswamy in Mandya politics. Cheluvarayaswamy had deserted JD(S) and joined Congress just ahead of the recent assembly election.