The Hindu : Karnataka News : JD(S), CPI(M) reach pact on seat-sharing

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Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka

JD(S), CPI(M) reach pact on seat-sharing

K.V. Subramanya

JD(S) to field candidate from Chickaballapur
CPI(M) to contest from Dakshina Kannada

CHICKABALLAPUR: Differences between the Third Front partners — the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) — over who should contest from the Chickaballapur parliamentary constituency have been resolved.

According to the seat sharing arrangement finalised by the two parties, the Janata Dal (Secular) will field its candidate from Chickaballapur. The former Bagepalli MLA and CPI(M) leader G.V. Srirama Reddy, who was tipped to be the party’s candidate from Chickaballapur, told The Hindu on Tuesday that the CPI(M) would not contest from Chickaballapur. Instead, it would field its candidate from Dakshina Kannada constituency, he said.

The State Committee of the CPI(M) had decided to field only one candidate from the State, in Chickaballapur, and had recommended Mr. Reddy’s name to the party’s Central Committee.

Mr. Reddy acknowledged that the decision had caused disappointment among CPI(M) workers, who were confident that the party would contest from Chickaballapur. Election preparations had begun six months ago.

“As the CPI(M) is a disciplined party, we are confident that the disappointment will not take a serious turn. Our workers will support and work for the victory of the Third Front candidate,” he said. The Janata Dal (Secular) has a strong base in the entire Chickaballapur constituency. Support for the CPI(M) is limited to the Bagepalli Assembly segment and Nagaragere hobli of Gauribidanur taluk.

However, as the Janata Dal (Secular) is a divided house in Chickaballapur and Kolar districts, the party leadership has worked out a strategy to bring together the warring groups. As the first step, party leaders have entrusted the supervision of the Chickaballapur and Kolar constituencies to Madhugiri MLA Anitha Kumaraswamy, wife of Janata Dal (Secular) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy. Incidentally, her parents are from Chintamani taluk in Chickaballapur district.

The Janata Dal (Secular), which had announced that filmmaker C.R. Manohar, who belongs to the Balija community, would be its candidate from Chickaballapur, is now contemplating fielding a candidate from the dominant Vokkaliga community.

It is said that the party is considering the candidatures of Bhavani Revanna, wife of the former Minister H.D. Revanna, and the “cash-rich” filmmaker E. Krishnappa of Mungaru Male fame, both of whom are Vokkaligas.

The Janata Dal (Secular) was in two minds on nominating Mr. Manohar as the Congress is likely to field the former Malleswaram MLA M.R. Seetharam, who too belongs to the Balija community and has a considerable following among the community.

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