JDS pulls out candidate for Jayanagar seat, supports coalition

The Janata Dal (S) today pulled out its candidate from the Jayanagar assembly constituency here for the June 11 polls and extended the party's support to its ruling coalition partner, the Congress.

JDS supremo and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda announced that his party candidate Kalegowda was "retiring" from the contest.

JDS would support Congress' Sowmya Reddy, he said and asked party men and leaders to work for her.

Gowda's announcement in a release followed a meeting with him by senior Congress leader and former Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who is Sowmya Reddy's father.

The Karnataka assembly election was held on May 12 but the Jayanagar poll was countermanded following the death of BJP candidate B N Vijayakumar, who was holding the seat.

BJP has named B N Prahlad, brother of Vijaykumar, as its candidate.

Both the Congress and JDS had fielded candidates against each other, despite being coalition partners, in the recent election to the Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly seat in the city.

Congress candidate Munirathna had won the seat, relegating the JD(S) candidate to a distant third.