ENARADA, Mysore, March 19, 2014
Senior leader of JD(S) and MLA G .T Deve gowda today confirmed that veteran congress leader and former union railway minister C K Jaffer sharief will contest as his party’s candidate from Mysore –Kodagu loksabha constituency.
In a joint press conference with Legislators SA RA Mahesh and Cahikkamadu, G.T Devegowda claimed that sharief will announce his decision to join JD(S) on March 24 after quitting Congress on the same day.
It is for the first time JD-S leader has gone on record about sharief’s candidate for Mysore-Kodagu seat. Sharief expected to return from his mecca pilgrimage on March 23. The last date of filing nomination for the loksabha elections is March 26.
Speculations were rife that sharief, who has been denied the congress ticket to contest from Bangalore Central, would join the JD-S headed by his longtime friend H D Devegowda . It can be recalled that Sharief’s controversial statement that Congress party should not field their candidate against JD(S) Supremo Devegowda in Hassan, had done to please JD(S) chief. The 81 year old political veteran and the second senior most congress leader in the state had met Gowda at the later’s residence recently. He had indicated that it was time for him to bid goodbye to the congress party which he has served for decades.
If sharief becomes the JD-S candidate, it will be huge setback for the congress sitting MP AH Vishwanath who is seeking his re-election. sharief’s candidature would mean a split in the votes of the minorities and the backward class, giving a big advantage to the bjp candidate. The BJP has announced journalist Pratap simha as its candidate for Mysore- Kodagu seat.
Meanwhile BJP MLC and ex MP C H Vishayashankar who was a strong aspirant for the Mysore-Kodagu seat is upset over the denial of the party’s ticket to him. He is still awaiting the reversal of the party’s surprise decision to field a new comer. However, he said if the party continued its stand, he would work as a normal party worker.
