Disgruntlement haunts Congress, JD(S)

BENGALURU: With barely a week to go for the

first phase of elections

in the state, Congress and JD(S) leaders are busy displaying a united front, hoping to overcome years of

deep-rooted rivalry

and bitters spats. But that seems little more than wishful thinking.


The situation on the ground is anything but harmonious. Reports indicate that beneath the superficial bonhomie, the parties’ cadres (party workers) share a deep mistrust. In fact, the trust deficit has widened over after the two parties agreed to a 20:7 seat-sharing pact.

Congress and JD(S) leaders have been holding marathon meetings with local functionaries to convince them to let bygones be bygones, but not only have cadres refused to campaign for alliance candidates, but have also threatened to transfer their votes to BJP. The Congress-JD(S) leadership is running out of time to quell disenchantment.

The arithmetic is in favour of alliance candidates, but the key question is whether JD(S) votes would transfer to the Congress. “If Congress votes are transferred to JD(S), the alliance should win at least 10 seats out of 14,” said a senior Congress leader.

An optimistic JD(S) leader, who is overseeing the alliance campaign in Mysuru-Kodagu, said: “Congress and JD(S) have already proved the ability to transfer votes in byelections to Jamkhandi assembly seat and Mandya and Ballari Lok Sabha seats last year. It will happen again.”

But both leaders admit that much has changed on the ground and all Lok Sabha constituencies have a different demography. However, the feeling that the JD(S) is in a far more advantageous position is unanimous since minority votes would accrue to the regional party. Apart from its own loyal Vokkaliga vote base, it can be now sure of the transfer of Muslim votes. That will be decisive in Tumakuru, where former PM HD Deve Gowda is contesting, and in Mandya and Hassan where his grandsons Nikhil and Prajwal are candidates.

Congress leaders are not sure whether the same will happen in Mysuru-Kodagu, where votes of Vokkaligas are crucial for the victory of their nominee CH Vijayashankar. JD(S) and Congress also cannot be unaware of the rising power of the BJP in the Old Mysuru region which could be political suicide for the regional party.