The Janata Dal (Secular), with a history of sending “moneybags” to the Rajya Sabha from the Legislative Assembly, may in all likelihood continue the tradition this time too. The party, however, says its choice will be a “local” person this time around.
“The candidate will definitely be from Karnataka; we will not entertain an outsider,” said State party president H.D. Kumaraswamy.
“Already six persons have approached us seeking support to enter the Rajya Sabha. We have not decided on anyone yet. A final decision will be taken only after having a discussion with the party supremo, H.D. Deve Gowda,” he said. He refused to divulge the names of those the party is considering for polls from the State Assembly scheduled to be held on June 11, but said a decision will be taken in the next three days.
According to sources in the JD(S), founder-president of Rajarajeshwari Medical College, A.C. Shanmugam; businessman from coastal region, Prakash Shetty; and expelled Congress leader Dayananda Reddy, have approached the party seeking election to the Rajya Sabha.
The JD(S) has a history of backing the well-heeled. In the 2004 polls, it sent M.A.M. Ramaswamy, co-founder and chairman of Chettinad Group of Companies, to Rajya Sabha. In 2010, they sent liquor baron Vijay Mallya, and in 2014 they backed Kupendra Reddy, a realtor.
Mr. Kumaraswamy quashed rumours about JD(S) deciding not to field its candidate if the Congress fields former Union Finance Minister P. Chidamabaram or C.M. Ibrahim as its third candidate. He said it was “an attempt by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to break the party votes”. He said with 40 members in the Assembly, they need only five members to send a JD(S) candidate to the Rajya Sabha. “Plans are in place to make good that shortage,” he said.
