JD(S) to contest in at least 150 seats in 2023 assembly elections: Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru: The Janata Dal (Secular) would field its candidates in at least 150 seats and the party would announce the list of its candidates by January 15 next year, former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said on Thursday. “Before January 15 next year, when the election will be one year away, we are planning to select candidates for at least 150 assembly constituencies, so that they can start working,” Kumaraswamy told reporters at JP Bhavan, the party headquarters here.

Replying to a query on the party”s preparations for the assembly elections, the JD(S) second-in-command said his party can contest anywhere between 150 and 170 seats to form a government independently. Kumaraswamy said he would tour at least five districts a day for the next one week and meet party leaders at the district level to discuss the party organisation, appointment of party office bearers at the village, taluk and district level in view of the next assembly polls. He said he would communicate to the people about the necessity of a regional party for the overall development of Karnataka, his party”s vision on education, policies to deal with agrarian crisis and unemployment.

He said the people of Karnataka have been watching the functioning of the two national political parties — the Congress and the BJP in Karnataka. Questioning the appointment of Karnataka incharge by the two national parties, he claimed this system is akin to the feudal way of governance to loot the state”s resources. “Karnataka is rich in resources.Whenever the national parties come to power, their party is to loot the resources of the state, which is similar to the fund collection during feudalism.The national parties loot our resources to divert funds for elections in other states,” Kumaraswamy charged.

Kumaraswamy had formed a coalition government with the Congress in 2018 when no political party got a clear majority. However, his government survived only for 14 months and came down owing to resignation by the Congress and the JD(S) MLAs, most of whom joined the BJP, contested the assembly by-elections in December 2019 on the BJP ticket and became ministers.

Following the developments, the party”s strength in the Karnataka assembly slipped from 37 in 2018 to 32 in 2019.

The JD(S) has been considered a party of dominant Vokkaligas with a stronghold in the old Mysuru region.

However, the party intends to break that image and aims to become a regional party with its presence across the state in the next assembly elections