The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Political parties playing the waiting game

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Wednesday, Mar 11, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Political parties playing the waiting game

S. Rajendran

Many leaders have switched sides, more crossovers likely

BJP has named 20 candidates in first and second lists
Congress, JD(S) may announce first list next week

Bangalore: The three major political parties in the State — the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) — are playing the waiting game in finalising the list of their respective party candidates for the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the State.

This is a result of the BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ launched to lure leaders from other parties. However, the Congress too poached key BJP members H.T. Sangliana (Bangalore North), Manjunath Kunnur (Dharwad) and Manorama Madhwaraj (Udupi) and M. Shivanna (Chamarajanagar) of the JD(S) during the crucial trust vote in the Lok Sabha after the Left parties withdrew support to the United Progressive Alliance Government. Interestingly, those who give in to inducements at the present juncture are likely to get a preferred seat to contest the Lok Sabha elections

If the BJP was the first to announce a list of nine candidates about a month ago following it up with another list of 11 candidates last week, the Congress and the JD(S) are expected to come out with their first list next week. Both the parties are ready with a tentative list that has to be vetted and approved by the central leadership. The BJP’s final list of eight candidates is expected at the weekend.

Nominations for the first phase of the elections in the State open on March 28 and for the second phase on April 2.

Sources in the BJP told The Hindu here on Tuesday that apart from the five leaders (Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli, G.S. Basavaraj, Raja Amaresh Naik, Ramesh Katti and A.R. Krishnamurthy) of the Congress and the JD(S) who had crossed over to the party and had been fielded as candidates, the party was waiting for three more influential leaders to join the party. Although their names have not been disclosed, the party is hoping that Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting M.H. Ambareesh, C.P. Yogeshwar, a realtor, and the former Minister and MLA K. Srinivasa Gowda will join soon.

In no hurry

Sources in the three parties said they were in no hurry to announce their final list of candidates. The Congress and the JD(S) are keen on countering the growing influence of the BJP in the region by fielding candidates with the “winnability” factor.

Political realignments are common during election time, but the kind of poaching being witnessed now is unprecedented. Of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the State, the BJP is expected to field at least seven newcomers and the Congress, four. The JD(S) will be fielding only one newcomer to the party, B.A. Jivijaya from Mysore. He was originally with the undivided Janata Dal.

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Karnataka