JD (S) cites multiple reasons for by-poll fiasco

Bengaluru: Karnataka JD (S) president H K Kumaraswamy on Wednesday conceded that the party could have been more organised in its approach towards the by-polls to two Assembly segments, where it turned in a disappointing performance yielding electoral ground.

The regional party was relegated to the third place in Sira and Rajarajeshwari (RR) Nagar seats, despite having considerable presence of Vokkaligas -- the party's core support base -- there, and failed to secure even 50 per cent of the votes received by it in the 2018 Assembly election. "...yes there was some delay (in going for campaigning and also announcing candidates), we could have been more organised, there were financial issues as well," Kumaraswamy told PTI.

He noted that in by-elections, people generally back the ruling party for the "sake of development and getting the work done." "... there is still over two years time for the Assembly elections. We will organise in a planned way..there is no need to lose heart because of these results..," he added. JD(S) legislature party leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy too on Tuesday said that bypoll results were not a "yardstick" for a political party and he would concentrate on strengthening his party.

The JD(S), which had won the Sira seat in the 2018 Assembly polls by getting 74,338 votes, was relegated to the third place with the party candidate Ammajamma B, wife of late party MLA Sathyanarayana (whose death necessiated by-polls) securing 36,783 votes.

In RR Nagar also, JD(S) ended up a distant third with V Krishnamurthy securing just 10,269 votes.

The party during the 2018 assembly polls too came third, but had secured 60,360 votes. BJP candidates have won both seats in the by-polls held on November 3. PTI