JD (S)-BJP to field common candidate against Congress in Karnataka by-polls

Coalition partners Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP have arrived at a pact to field a common candidate against Congress nominee Siddaramaiah in the crucial by-polls to Chamundeshwari assembly constituency in Karnataka, scheduled to be held on December 4.

Three days before the last date for filing nominations could end on November 17, the Janata Dal (S) leadership has managed to convince the BJP to cede the seat for a JD (S) candidate. The understanding between the JD (S) and BJP was reached at a meeting of the co-ordination panel of the coalition partners held in Bangalore on Tuesday.

The JD (S), which has already shortlisted the names of six aspirants, is expected to announce its nominee on Thursday. Former MLA A S Guruswamy, who had defeated Siddaramaiah during the 1999 assembly elections, and Shivabasappa are among the front-runners in the race for the party ticket.

The electoral alliance between the coalition partners came after weeks of public posturing by the BJP that it would prefer a triangular contest involving BJP, JD (S) and Congress to supporting the its coalition partner JD (S).

The poll understanding came after JD (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda intervened in the matter and spoke to BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in the matter.

The by-polls have become a prestige issue for the JD (S), which is keen on defeating former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had quit the JD (S) and joined the Congress after developing differences with Deve Gowda.

Deve Gowda’s son and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said the electoral pact between the coalition partners would pave the way for increased understanding between the two parties at the political level.

Even though the BJP had ceded the seat to JD (S), BJP leaders and Ministers would campaign for the joint candidate of the coalition partners, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said.

However, the Congress party has dismissed the electoral pact between the coalition partners as “irrelevant”. The party expressed confidence that Siddaramaiah would win with a thumping majority even if the JD (S) and BJP fields a joint candidate.

“The electoral pact will have no bearing on Siddaramaiah’s prospects. He will win hands down”, newly appointed Federal Minister for Information and Publicity Ambarish told reporters in Bangalore yesterday.