Bengaluru, Oct 10: Amid growing discontent in the party and alliance partner Congress over her candidature, JD(S) has decided to go ahead and field Anitha, wife of chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, for the November 3 bypoll to the Ramanagara assembly segment.
Following a meeting with party workers in Ramanagara on Tuesday, JD(S) taluk president Rajashekar said Anitha will file her nomination papers on October 11. The announcement triggered a heated exchange of words between party workers at the venue.
“Party leaders should have consulted us before finalizing Anitha’s candidature,” said some angry workers, who created a ruckus at the meeting. They accused leaders of taking “unilateral decisions”.
However, while a section of JD(S) leaders are thrilled with Anitha’s candidature, others wanted Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil or party supremo Deve Gowda's grandson and PWD minister H D Revanna's son Prajwal to contest.
“We feel let down,” a party worker said. “We were hoping either Prajwal or Nikhil would contest. We don't want Anitha as she is neither accessible nor receptive.”
Some workers even preferred a local candidate to Anitha.
“There is no dearth of good local candidates including Muslims in our constituency,” said one party worker. “It is a tragedy that they have gone with Anitha. Already the opposition has labeled us the ‘father-son party’. Now they will call us father-son-in-laws party.”
The resentment is not limited to the JD(S) unit of Ramanagara alone. Congress workers too are upset with state leaders for extending support to JD(S) in Ramanagara. Sources said some leaders are having second thoughts about the JD(S) nominee and might consider fielding a candidate in consultation with the party high command.
“We have been fighting the JD(S) tooth and nail for over a decade in this constituency and we have developed a decent vote-bank,” said a senior Congress leader from Ramanagara. “We don’t know how to deal with them now. If their anger translates into votes, it will be advantage BJP.”
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