JDS candidate to contest from Shivamogga: Dinesh Gundu Rao
Bengaluru, October 15: KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao said that as per the decision of Congress-JDS coalition leaders, Madhu Bangarappa of JDS would fight it out against BJP candidate in Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency by-election with the support of the Congress.
Speaking to reporters at KPCC office here on Monday, Dinesh Gundu Rao said that Congress-JDS combine candidates would contest from three Lok Sabha and two Assembly constituencies in the by-election. Both Congress and JDS leaders would campaign together and all the leaders would be present during nomination filing. The Congress and JDS candidates would win in all the constituencies. In the last election, the Congress had got 4.28 lakh votes, BJP got 5.83 lakh votes and JDS got 2.51 lakh votes in Shivamogga where the Congress-JDS members were more in all local bodies. So, the local candidate would play a major role in this election, he said.
The Congress and JDS would win majority seats out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections to oust the BJP which is detrimental to the country. In South India, the BJP has some strength in Karnataka. So, the Congress and JDS have their own strategy to counter the BJP, he said.
The decision was taken after taking former ministers Kagodu Thimmappa and Kimmane Rathnakar, MLA B.K. Sangameshwar into confidence to give up the seat to JDS. Minister R.V. Deshpande was nominated as incharge for Shivamogga constituency, while K.J. George for Mandya, D.K. Shivakumar for Ballary, Deputy Chief Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar for Jamakhandi, MP D.K. Suresh for Ramanagar constituencies, he said.
‘The anti-people government at the centre is curtailing the freedom of people. No one can express their opinions freely. It has created fear and intolerance in the country. The Prime Minister himself has involved in corruption. It is an open secret that the HAL management has been suppressing its employees over Rafale fighter jets deal’.
- Dinesh Gundu Rao, KPCC President
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
