BANGALORE: The Janata Dal (S) has decided to field its candidate in the byelection to the Legislative Assembly from Ullal constituency, contrary to the expectation of its coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party that the Janata Dal (S) might extend support to its candidate.

Janata Dal (S) spokesperson Y.S.V. Datta told The Hindu that the party was trying to convince Yenepoya Educational Institutions' chief Abdul Kunhi to enter the poll fray on the Janata Dal (S) ticket.

If he did not agree, the party might field its local leader Abubkar.

Forms

Party president H.D. Deve Gowda, who was in Goa, had already sent the signed A and B forms to Bangalore. Mr. Datta would carry them to Mangalore on Tuesday, which is the last date for filing of nominations.

He said it was a collective decision of Mr. Deve Gowda, party State president M.P. Prakash and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to field the candidate.

"We have decided to contest the bypoll mainly to keep alive the spirit of party workers in Ullal," Mr. Datta said.

He maintained that the decision to contest the bypoll would neither embarrass the coalition partner BJP nor affect the relationship between the allies.

Meanwhile, a BJP leader told The Hindu that the party would still hope that the Janata Dal (S) would withdraw its candidate from the fray. "But, if the Janata Dal (S) is serious on fielding its candidate, the BJP too is ready to face the polls. We are already working seriously on the field in Ullal," he declared.

He said the party had expected the Janata Dal (S) to reciprocate its gesture of not fielding any candidate in the Chamundeshwari bypoll.

He observed that a unity message could be sent across the State if the Janata Dal (S) decided to support the BJP and desisted from fielding its candidate. At the same time, there was a possibility of a split in the non-BJP votes to some extent if the Janata Dal (S) fielded its candidate, he noted.

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