JDS to release candidates list by March end for Assembly elections

BANGALORE: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led JDS today said it would announce the list of its candidates for the May five Assembly elections by March end.

"We will announce the list of at least 220 candidates within March 31," Senior JDS leader Basavaraj Horatti told reporters here.

The JDS Parliamentary Board would soon finalise the list and send it for approval to Gowda and State JDS President and his son H D Kumaraswamy, Horatti said.

Former minister and JDS leader N C Nanaiah charged both BJP and RSS with spreading canard about JDS having an "covert" understanding with them for forging an alliance for the polls.

"RSS and BJP are designing a ploy to weaken our support base with the minorities by spreading such a canard," he alleged. There was no reason for the JDS to strike an alliance with BJP as its image has taken a beating in the wake of corruption charges against it, he said.