It’s ‘Mission 120’ in next Assembly polls: JDS

Bengaluru, 15 Feb 2021 [Fik/News Sources]: Former Prime Minister and JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda on Sunday led the party’s convention in Bengaluru. Appealing for unity, Gowda implored workers to get cracking at the grassroots level for the upcoming zilla and taluk panchayat polls. 

“I can only guide you but you will have to implement my suggestions. I cannot travel across the state. There is a lot of talent in our party but there is no unity. I plead with you all to remain united,” urged Gowda, adding that party workers must not be miffed over ticket distribution or trivial skirmishes.

Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, while reiterating his purportedly unfortunate stint as chief minister in the coalition government, said about 16,000 JDS-backed candidates had won in the recently concluded gram panchayat polls — an indication of the party’s strong base in Karnataka’s rural hinterlands. 

Leaders of the party like Bandeppa Kashempur set a target of 120 seats for the JDS in the next Assembly election in the state. While one Lok Sabha seat and three Assembly segments will go for bypolls in Karnataka, the JDS has decided not to field its candidates. Gowda had recently declared that the party had no funds to fight the bypolls.

In Sunday’s convention, the party patriarch asked cadres to instead focus on the upcoming local body polls. Apart from pushing for the resurgence of the party at the grassroots, JDS leaders also set targets for the next Assembly elections. 

“We have had enough of coalition governments. If we set our minds to it, JDS on its own can win 120 seats. We have to work towards that,” said Bandeppa Kashempur, also a former minister. “It was a long-pending party convention since we could not meet cadres due to Covid-19. We have to reform structures within the party and organise internal party dynamics.

Our workers are enthused with the initiatives being taken by H D Kumaraswamy. Cadres are now more active and more youngsters are taking the lead. Our leader  Deve Gowda has decided that 25 per cent of local body poll tickets will be for youth candidates,” said first-time MP from Hassan and lone JDS member in the Lok Sabha, Prajwal Revanna — who is also the grandson of Gowda.