A week after supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party in the no-confidence motion moved by the the Congress against Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman D.H. Shankaramurthy, the Janata Dal (S) has decided to support UPA’s candidate and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar in the Presidential elections scheduled on July 17.
On Sunday, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and his son H.D. Kumaraswamy endorsed the candidature of 17 opposition parties in the presence of the Congress leaders. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too put his signature proposing the candidature of Ms. Kumar.
The JD (S) has 40 MLAs and two MPs. However, the JD (S) has disqualified eight MLAs on the grounds of indulging in anti-party activities during elections to the Rajya Sabha last year.
Sources in the Congress said that Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwara approached Mr. Deve Gowda seeking support for Ms. Kumar in the presidential elections and the JD (S) leader agreed to provide party’s support to defeat communal forces in the country.
The NDA has fielded Ram Nath Kovind. The JD (S), which was known to switch sides, also supported the Mayoral candidate of the Congress in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).