BANGALORE: The Janata Dal (Secular) is confident of the success of its fourth candidate in Thursday's elections to the Legislative Council from the Legislative Assembly.

President of the State unit M.P. Prakash told presspersons here on Wednesday that the party leaders had "done their homework" before fielding the fourth candidate.

Going by the numerical strength of the Janata Dal (S) in the Legislative Assembly, the party could comfortably win two seats while it would be short of two votes for the third seat.

Mr. Prakash said the Janata Dal (S) would not indulge in horse-trading as alleged by the Congress. A number of independent MLAs had said their vote would be for the fourth candidate of the Janata Dal (S) — former Minister K. Amarnath Shetty. Party president H.D. Deve Gowda had a discussion with President of the Janata Dal (United) Sharad Yadav, and Mr. Yadav had said all five votes of the party would be cast in favour of the Janata Dal (S). The party leaders had spoken to president of the Janata Dal (U) State unit B. Somashekar and party leader in the Legislative Assembly J.C. Madhuswamy, he added.

Asked whether the Siddaramaiah group of eight MLAs would vote for the Janata Dal (S), Mr. Prakash said chief whip of the party K. Annadani had directed them to do so. If they violated the whip, they would have to face consequences. It would not be difficult to identify those who had violated the whip, although voting was by secret ballot, he said.

Mr. Prakash said the Janata Dal (S) would do well in the elections to the Legislative Council from the graduates' and teachers' constituencies. It would independently fight the elections. In the poll from the Bangalore Graduates' constituency, the Janata Dal (S) had fielded a youth leader, R. Upendra Shetty, who runs a centre coaching students for competitive examinations, he added. He said M. Veerappa Moily's statement — that it was during his tenure as Chief Minister that reservation for backward classes was introduced — was not true. The credit should go to Mr. Deve Gowda, who, during his tenure as Chief Minister, constituted a Cabinet subcommittee, Mr. Prakash said.

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