Can ‘serial defector’ A. Manju swing Arkalgud seat in favour of JDS?

Manju's experience as a former minister in the State government could bring valuable administrative and political expertise for the JDS leadership.

A. Manju, a serial defector who recently joined Janata Dal-Secular (JDS), has now announced that he will contest for the Arkalgud Assembly constituency in Hassan on a JDS ticket in the upcoming Karnataka elections.

During a party meeting recently, several people objected to giving party ticket to A. Manju but H.D. Revanna pacified them and announced that Manju will be the party candidate from Arkalgud seat. The recent development has cleared the rumours about the confusion of the JDS candidate in Arkalgud segment as sitting MLA A.T. Ramaswamy is moving away from the party.

3 polls, 3 parties in 5 years

Manju was earlier elected as MLA from Arkalgud as a BJP candidate in 1999. Later, he joined the Congress party and won the seats in 2008 and 2013. However, Manju, who was the Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, lost the election to Deve Gowda in Hassan constituency in 2014. He then re-joined the BJP and ran for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat in 2019, but was defeated by JDS candidate Prajwal, son of H.D. Revanna and grandson of former PM H.D. Deve Gowda.

Manju, who had been with the BJP since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, was trying to rejoin Congress, hoping to get a chance to contest in Arkalgud seat. However, following differences within the BJP and the Congress did not show any interest, he joined JDS. Manju now holds the record for contesting 3 elections from 3 different parties in five years.

Kumaraswamy offers ticket to political foe Manju

His entry into the JDS would potentially strengthen the regional party in Hassan district, where Manju has represented Arkalgud seat thrice as a Congress nominee and was a Minister in Siddaramaiah government. He could also help the party consolidate its support base in the region and potentially attract more voters. Additionally, Manju's experience as a former Minister in the State government could bring valuable administrative and political expertise for the JDS leadership.

When the Congress and JDS were in alliance in the State in 2018-19, Manju was unhappy with the grand old party over its decision to support JDS nominee Prajwal Revanna. Hassan is the home district of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.

To take on JDS in Hassan, Manju eventually quit Congress and joined the saffron party. Though Manju was defeated in the election, he did not stop there and took his fight against JDS to the court alleging that Prajwal had furnished false documents at the time of filing of nomination and sought his disqualification as Hassan MP. The matter is still pending in the court.

When he was in charge of Hassan district (2013-2018), Manju had designed a plan to keep Bhavani, wife of JDS MLA H.D. Revanna, away from occupying the post of Hassan Zilla Panchayat and he eventually succeeded in his plan. On several occasions, Manju has criticised the Revannas in public.

According to reports, Manju was once close to patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda in the 1980s but parted ways when he was denied a party ticket. He joined Congress and turned into a political rival of Deve Gowda and the JDS. In the changed scenario however, Manju has now been invited by the JDS and made him the party nominee for Arkalgud seat.

Meanwhile, Arkalgud MLA A.T. Ramaswamy, elected on a JDS ticket in 2018, has distanced himself from the party.