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First list of candidates will be announced by Jan 15

 
Former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda has said that Congress will be the main opponent for the BJP in the coming Assembly elections. The KJP and JD(S) will be minor obstacle.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Sunday, he said the KJP is not a threat to the BJP. Yeddyurappa do not have much support. He only boasts of the strength.

“He has claimed  that 60 MLAs are with him but we all saw how many participated in the KJP convention at Haveri. The number has come down to 14. Even among 14, five of them have come to us and have admitted that they want to stay with the BJP.”

The BJP government will complete its tenure and the newly formed KJP will witness its downfall soon. The BJP will emerge as the winner and come to power again based on the principles and ideologies promoted by the party.

To a query on disciplinary action that the BJP promised against Yeddyurappa’s supporters and the recent development of engaging in talks with them again, Gowda said that show cause notices will be sent to them but maintained that “political adjustment” is need of the hour.

On BJP’s preparations for the Assembly elections, Gowda said that five teams will visit 30 districts to collect opinions of the party workers on the probable candidates.

In Dakshina Kannada district, party workers from each constituency will be consulted before finalising the candidates, he said. The teams will submit a report to the state leadership and half of the candidates will be announced by January 15.

“BJP leaders including myself, Ananth Kumar, Jagadish Shettar, Eshwarappa and R Ashok will be touring across the State to encourage the party workers to fight in the coming election. The voters will teach a lesson to those who have taken help of the BJP to come to power and then backstabbed the BJP.”

When asked on his preference for contesting the Assembly election, he said that he had not thought about contesting the elections but would do so if the party asks him to and in which case, he would contest from the Puttur constituency.

Former chief minister also said  that he along with other BJP leaders had met the family members of Jacintha Saldanha.

Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has also expressed grief at the incident and has written to the Prime Minister and the Union Minister of External Affairs expressing his concerns over such incidents involving Kannadigas abroad.