The Janata Dal (Secular) or JD (S) said it would withdraw its candidature from the Nanjanagud constituency for the upcoming Karnataka assembly election and extend its support to Congress candidate and former MP R Dhruvanarayana’s son Darshan on Friday.
A month after former Karnataka Congress working president R Dhruvanarayana passed away due to cardiac arrest, his wife Veena Dhruvanarayana died due to cancer at a private hospital in Mysuru on Friday.
Dhruvanarayana, who passed away on March 11, was supposed to contest from the Nanjanagud assembly constituency.
Congress leader and former PWD minister Dr H C Mahadevappa, also an aspirant for the Nanjanagud constituency, has withdrawn his candidature after the demise of Dhruvanarayana and his wife.
“Dhruvanarayana’s children are in pain as they lost both father and mother within a month. We will discuss with party chief HD Kumaraswamy whether JD(S) should contest in Nanjangudu,” Chamundeshwari constituency JD(S) MLA and former minister GT Deve Gowda told reporters on Friday. “In this situation, we should support the children as they are in deep pain and provide strength,” he added.
Another JD(S) legislator, SA Mahesh, said the party would not field its candidate in Nanjanagud. “Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had discussed the issue with leaders after the demise of Dhruvanarayana and has decided to support Darshan,” SA Mahesh told reporters. “There was a debate about the background of his father’s demise. Now Darshan’s mother has died. Against this backdrop, HD Kumaraswamy will not agree to field a candidate against Darshan. Kumaraswamy will visit Darshan’s house soon to console the family and would announce the withdrawal of the candidate after that,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Another JD(S) legislator, SA Mahesh, said the party would not field its candidate in Nanjanagud. “Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had discussed the issue with leaders after the demise of Dhruvanarayana and has decided to support Darshan,” SA Mahesh told reporters. “There was a debate about the background of his father’s demise. Now Darshan’s mother has died. Against this backdrop, HD Kumaraswamy will not agree to field a candidate against Darshan. Kumaraswamy will visit Darshan’s house soon to console the family and would announce the withdrawal of the candidate after that,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Dhruvanarayana, a former KPCC president, was preparing to contest from the Nanjangudu assembly constituency this election. Mahadevappa had also contested from the Nanjangud constituency and had been identified as part of Siddaramaiah’s faction, while Dhruvanarayana was with D K Shivakumar.
Dhruvanarayana’s supporters urged the party for a ticket to his son, Darshan. They had appealed to DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah and ticket aspirant Mahadevappa in this regard. Finally, Mahadevappa backed out of the ticket race to facilitate Darshan. After this, Congress announced a ticket to Darshan. Now, JD(S) has also come forward to support him.