Poll battle for Chamundeshwari: GTD, Mahesh escalate JD(S) feud

Mysuru: The internal tussle within the JD(S) Mysuru district unit has intensified, with leaders trading claims and counterclaims over the party's future in the Chamundeshwari constituency.Disgruntled senior leader and former minister G T Devegowda, the sitting MLA from Chamundeshwari, reaffirmed that he would seek the party ticket again for the 2028 Assembly elections. He said his next political move would be guided by the wishes of party workers in the constituency."I will take my next step as directed by the party workers," Devegowda said while speaking in Jayapura. He added that during a recent meeting in Delhi with around 25 party members and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, the latter had appreciated his work and described him as a strong voice of the party. "The former PM indicated that had I been the opposition leader, I would have ensured the party's voice was heard inside the Assembly," he said.Reasserting his influence in the region, Devegowda said he had built the party "single-handedly" and had never faced defeat. "In my area, the party won seven zilla panchayat seats, while in KR Nagar it won only two," he said, taking aim at JD(S) working president S R Mahesh, a close aide of Union minister H D Kumaraswamy.He added that he had consistently worked for the development of his constituency irrespective of which party was in power. "Leaders I nurtured contested against me in the last election, yet I emerged victorious," he said.Devegowda also dismissed rumours that his son, MLA G D Harish, would shift from Hunsur to Chamundeshwari. "He will contest from Hunsur in the 2028 elections," he clarified.Meanwhile, JD(S) working president and former MLA SR Mahesh strongly countered Devegowda's statements, asserting that Kumaraswamy had already decided to field a new face from Chamundeshwari."Devegowda is no longer with us. Kumaraswamy has made this clear, and the matter is closed," Mahesh said. He, however, added that he would abide by any future decision taken by the high command.Mahesh said the party was currently identifying a loyal leader who had stood firmly with it during both good and difficult times to contest from the constituency. "Kumaraswamy's decision is final," he emphasised.Taking a swipe at Devegowda, Mahesh questioned his loyalty, alleging that the MLA had acted against the party's interests during cooperative elections. "The party high command has taken these decisions after closely observing his commitment, integrity, and loyalty," he said.