JDS begins preparations for 2018 Assembly polls

With assembly elections dueearly next year, former Prime Minister H D Devegowda-led JDS has started its election preparedness.
Charting out the party's strategy in the coming days, former Karnataka Chief Minister and the party's second in command, H D Kumaraswamy told reporters here today that a meeting has been convened tomorrow as part of its exercise to finalise candidates for 10 to 15 assembly constituencies here.
He said the party is collating information collectedby the observers in 30 districts to finalise candidates.
Kumaraswamy said JD(S) has decided to hold a minorities' meeting at Tumakuru on December 10, a Dalit Mahasabha on December 13 and a farmers' rally at Shikaripura in Shivamogga district in early January.

The JD(S) leader said he has already announced that if his party comes to power, he will make a Dalit or a Muslim deputy chief minister.
He challenged Chief MinisterSiddaramaiah to make a similar announcement.
"He tries to project himself as the messiah of Dalits. However he has lost the moralground to speak about welfare of Dalits as the downtroddensection has found themselves at the receiving end in the lastfive years," he said.
He said Siddaramaiah had successfully 'cornered' Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwara over welfare provided to Dalits.