Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (EP)

Bengaluru, Oct 11: Bengaluru rural MP DK Suresh and minister of water resources, D K Shivakumar are in a dilemma regarding their alliance with JD (S) for by-polls on November 3 in Ramanagara assembly constituency.

Though Ramanagara constituency involving Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha seat is dominated by Vokkaligas, it also has a large number of minorities. Congress holds four constituencies here including Kanakapura represented by Shivakumar. Two of the remaining constituencies are represented by JD(S) and one by BJP. A victory by JD(S) in the present polls is likely to adversely affect the prospects of Suresh in the Lok Sabha polls a few months later.

D K Suresh (L) and D K Shivakumar

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, in-charge of Karnataka, was advised against alliance with JD(S) by party leaders from Ramanagara during their interaction on October 9. Suresh told reporters that they have explained the party leadership the view of the local party workers as Congress has its own vote bank in Ramanagara.

C M Lingappa, a close aide of DK brothers insisted that the Congress has a strong base in Ramanagara and the workers are against giving up the seat to JD(S). He urged to field Iqbal Hussain, a Congress candidate, who secured more than 70,000 votes against chief minister H D Kumaraswamy in the assembly elections held a few months ago. Hussain maintained that it will be a blunder by Congress if it gives up Ramanagara seat to JD(S).