Has Deve Gowda managed to end the truce in the JDS in Mandya?

JDS patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda convened a meeting of party legislators and leaders from Mandya district at his Bengaluru residence where he advised the leaders to work with an aim to win all the seats in the district.

Turning the heat on former Prime Minister and JDS patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda, the ruling BJP in Karnataka has launched a full-scale offensive to break his stranglehold over Mandya Assembly constituency making it a bumpy ride for him in the Vokkaliga heartland.

Ignoring the scorching sun, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow, formally launched the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, among other projects, and addressed a public rally in Gejjalagere in Mandya district. And all this is nothing but a concerted effort to woo the Vokkaliga community. The jamboree was preceded by making Independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of Kannada actor and former minister late Ambareesh, to give her support to Modi.

The challenge now for the JDS is to retain its top position The party depends on its vote base of Vokkaligas and the popularity of its supremo H.D. Deve Gowda among the community.

In this regard, Gowda convened a meeting of party legislators and leaders from Mandya district at his residence in Bengaluru where the former PM advised the leaders to work with an aim to win all the Assembly segments in Mandya district.

The Mandya district has seven Assembly constituencies, six of which - Mandya, Malavalli, Srirangapatna, Maddur, Nagamangala and Melukote - are represented by JDS. But it lost one seat Krishnarajpet (KR Pet) after sitting MLA K.C. Narayana Gowda jumped over camp to the BJP and won it back in 2019 bypolls. The saffron party's victory in by-elections at the cost of JDS confirms that BJP is also making inroads in the Old Mysuru region.

Meanwhile, it must be noted that several disgruntled legislators from the regional party have objected to the tickets being provided for candidates. It began with opposition to the candidature of H.T. Manju. Manju is a confidante of former Chief Minister and JDS leader H.D. Kumaraswamy and his name was announced for the KR Pet.

Ticket aspirants for Mandya seat also objected to the nomination of sitting MLA M. Srinivas, saying he is not keeping well due to age related ailment.