Local leaders to get tickets for bypolls in K’taka

Bengaluru: Janata Dal (Secular) will be giving tickets to local leaders in the upcoming bypolls in 15 constituencies, stated former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy here on Monday.

“JD(S) has decided to give importance to local leaders in the fifteen constituencies which are going to the poll on October 21,” HD Kumaraswamy stated after party workers meet in Bengaluru.

According to sources, the party leadership faced a lot of flak including the likes of Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy and HD Revanna for fielding Nikhil Kumaraswamy from Mandya against Bharatiya Janata Party-supported candidate Sumalatha and Prajwal Revanna in Hassan constituency.

Last week, JDS president and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda had also ruled out the possibility of an alliance with Congress.

The bye-elections in Karnataka will be held on October 21 in 15 constituencies that went vacant after the disqualification of rebel MLAs of Congress and Janata Dal (Secular).

The counting of votes will take place in the same week on October 24.