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K'taka: JD-S campaign to start on Jan 1

By Vicky Nanjappa in Bangalore
December 18, 2007 10:29 IST
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The Janata Dal-Secular, which has been in the eye of the storm ever since it withdrew support from the Bharatiya Janata Party led government in Karnataka, will kickstart its campaign from January 1, 2008.

The JD-S has decided to focus its campaign in rural areas as the party believes that these areas will make the ultimate difference to the poll prospects of the party. Former chief minister and JD-S leader H D Kumaraswamy said that his party will start campaigning from Bidar in north Karnataka.

The JD-S says that it will go all out to woo voters and will also send a strong message across, to explain that the party is not guilty of creating the biggest political turmoil in the state. While other political parties have already started canvassing, the JD-S has been taking its time. Its opponents, specially the BJP, claim that Deve Gowda's party was delaying its campaigning as it was scared to face the people after bringing two successive governments down, the first one led by the Congress and the second one by the BJP.

However, the JD-S leaders have rubbished this claim and said they are not guilty of anything and are ready to face the people. The leaders added that they are hopeful of putting up a good show this time. "We will fight on the streets and let's see who can beat us in that," said Kumaraswamy.

He added that his father, former prime minister and JD-S supreme H D Deve Gowda, will tour every district and taluka in the state to campaign for his party. The party plans to organise a convention of all its leaders before officially kick starting its campaign. The convention is aimed at boosting the morale of the workers, who were upset after the JD-S' image took a severe beating due to the political crisis in the state.

JD-S leaders, divided into two groups led by H D Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy, will tour every district and taluka in the state to campaign for the elections.

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Vicky Nanjappa in Bangalore