JD(S) to focus on South Karnataka

The Janata Dal (Secular), which is being deserted by the senior leaders of the party, will kick off its poll campaign in South Karnataka districts, its traditional vote base.

On Tuesday, the party held its first convention in Mysore. The JD(S), whose traditional vote bank includes the Vokkaligas (the second largest community in the state) in the South Karnataka districts has been witnessing large-scale desertions by Vokkaliga leaders. Consequently, the party fears it might lose voters' confidence.

JD(S) leaders and former minister B N Bacche Gowda and G T Deve Gowda (both Vokkaliga leaders from South Karnataka) recently quit the party to join the BJP. Similarly, former deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah, who has a significant following in Mysore, Chamarajanagar and Tumkur districts, joined the Congress.

"These developments are bound to affect the JD(S) vote bank. In North and coastal Karnataka, the presence of the JD(S) is poor. The party has no option than consolidating its position in the traditional vote bank," a senior party leader said.

Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy contended that the desertion by Vokkaliga leaders will not affect the party's prospects in the next assembly polls. "The party workers have not followed the leaders who quit JD(S). We will groom new leaders. We are certain of a good performance in the South Karnataka dis-tricts in the next elections," he added.

Of the 58 legislators elected to the assembly from the JD(S) in the last polls, over 60 per cent hailed from the Vokkaliga-dominated districts like Bangalore Rural, Kolar, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Chikmagalur and Tumkur.

The JD(S) is keen on replicating the same in the next elections too. Former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda is expected to campaign in these districts from next week.