Just after BJP’s Parivartan Yatra in a sophisticated custom built bus to tour across the State ahead of crucial Karnataka Assembly polls, now it is the time for the JD(S) which is expected to play a major role to hop on a chariot to tour the State.
JD(S) State president and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy will launch his election campaign in poll bound Karnataka from Tuesday. He will kick off from Chamundeshwari temple atop Chamundi Hills in Mysuru and a convention will be held in Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency, where its member GT Deve Gowda is the sitting MlA. Kumaraswamy will ride a rath called ‘Karnataka Vikasa Vahini’ to tour the State.
Old Mysuru is politically earlier strong hold of the Congress but JD(S) being a predominantly Vokkaliga party (former Prime Minister Deve Gowda is a Vokkaliga) is expected to give tough fight to the Congress led by Chief Cinister Siddaramaiah. It is significant that the JD(S) starting its campaign from Mysuru which is the hometown of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who is playing appeasement politics to the hilt which has angered both lingayat and Vokkaliga leaders in the Congress. Both the communities are dominant in the State and decide the political course of the State.
Kumaraswamy said he would stay in the villages and cover the State. Kumaraswamy feels JD(S) as a regional party is an alternative to both the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP.
The JD(S) will also commence a bike rally from Raichur on November 7 and will meet in Belagavi where they will hold a massive rally on November 13, the day the winter session commences in Belagavi.
JD(S) leader who has recuperating from heart related problems has a custom built bus for his campaign.
As poll bound Karnataka is crucial for both the ruling Congress and the BJP, JD(S) is polarising its strength to play a kingmaker role with Kumaraswamy a popular leader and a star campaigner taking rath yatra across the state. While the BJP has launched a Parivartana Yatra led by BJP strongman Yeddyurappa in a specially designed ratha, the JD(S) is launching around 50 vehicles mounted with big lED screens to screen campaign videos to public gatherings across the State.
The JD(S) campaign called the Kumaraparva-Hosa Manvanthara Shubharamba is the new tag line of the party. The party’s campaign buses, will play a half-hour specially made films on party president HD Kumaraswamy and his achievements. The high-tech digital campaign in main stream media and social media by the party is expected to cover and add to the campaign fervour of the party. The JD(S) which identified itself with the farmers has been looking for an image makeover to gain politically.
“The party has hired these vehicles to highlight the contributions and achievements made by the party during my tenure as the Chief Minister of Karnataka,” Kumaraswamy told the media.
As still the poll scenario is fluid and uncertain , the JD(S) led by Kumaranna as he is known popularly is expected to play a major role in case of a hung Assembly.