Bangalore: The JDS in Karnataka has decided
against contesting the November 30 assembly bye-election to
Bellary Rural constituency, from where former BJP leader B
Sreeramulu is trying his luck as an independent.
"Taking into account the relevance of contesting this
bye-election, the short tenure of the elected member and also
the threat of snap polls to the assembly ..in the wake of
upheavals in the ruling BJP, it has been decided not to field
a candidate", JDS state unit President H D Kumaraswamy said.
While a section of the party's Bellary unit wanted the
party to field a candidate, another section was not in favour
of contesting, he told reporters here.
A meeting of JDS leaders held yesterday discussed the
Bellary bypoll and was of the view that it was not necessary
for the party to take a plunge in the wake of political
uncertainty faced by the BJP government, he said.
Kumaraswamy said the party will not be supporting anyone in
the bypoll, scotching speculation that the Gowda outfit will
indirectly back the BJP rebel leader Sreeramulu.
Besides illegal mining in the state, JDS will continue its
fight against "maladministration" of BJP and Congress,
Kumaraswamy asserted.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, November 10, 2011, 18:33