Bengaluru, Dec 31: The JD(S) is learnt to be making all out efforts to persuade Sandalwood actor Sudeep to join the party ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls.
Having remained out of power for over a decade, the regional party has lost its sheen. JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy now feels that bringing on board somebody like Sudeep, who is a superstar, will change the party’s prospects for the better.
According to party sources, JD(S) MLC C R Manohar, who is also a Kannada film producer, has been entrusted with the responsibility of convincing Sudeep to join the party.
Not only is Manohar producing Sudeep’s upcoming film ‘Villain,’ the duo have been friends for nearly two decades. Sudeep was also seen pledging his support to Manohar, when the latter filed his nomination papers to contest the MLC elections from Kolar-Chikkaballpur constituency two years ago. It was Manohar who facilitated a meeting between Kumaraswamy and Sudeep earlier this month on the former’s bidding.
When Sudeep called Kumaraswamy to greet him on his birthday on December 16, Manohar is said to have prompted the actor into inviting the JD(S) leader over for lunch. Kumaraswamy, who was quick to accept the invitation, visited Sudeep the very next day and pitched that he should consider joining the JD(S) and contesting the elections.
Manohar told DH the party is hopeful that the actor will consider the party’s invitation. “Sudeep and I are like brothers and it is true that I facilitated the meeting. Though he has no interest in foraying into politics, we are hoping that he will change his mind and join the party. If he ever comes to politics, he should join JD(S), and no other party,” he said.
Manohar said that the JD(S) will get a major boost if Sudeep decides to contest elections. The actor is yet to announce his decision.
The JD(S) hopes that Sudeep, like his uncle Sarovar Srinivas, will choose the regional party, if and when he enters politics. Srinivas was elected as an MLC twice on a JD(S) ticket.
It can be recalled that Kumaraswamy had asked voters in Mandya last year during the panchayat elections to “reject” actors entering politics and recognise only those persons who work for the welfare of the people. Both Kumaraswamy and Sudeep were not available for comment.
The kidnapped schoolboy was rescued by the police and reunited with his parents. Son of a gift shop owner from Basavanagudi area in Bengaluru, Chirag has reportedly told police that decided to make some quick money to spend on cricket betting and gambling after learning kidnap tricks from the ‘Crime Patrol’. According to police, Chirag reached a private school around 3pm on Tuesday on a Bounce rental bike and zeroed in on a fourth standard student who was walking out of school. He told the boy he was his father's friend and that he required help to search for a relative who had gone missing. The boy believed Chirag and rode pillion on the bike. Chirag then engaged the boy in conversation and learnt about his father's business and got his mobile phone number. He then made a call to the boy's father, demanded Rs 5 lakh and warned him against approaching cops. However, the boy's father alerted Cottonpet police and special teams were formed to crack the case. While Cottonpet inspector Venkatesh TC's squad verified CCTV footage in and around the school, Chamarajpet inspector BG Kumaraswamy's team started tracking the suspect's mobile phone movements. An hour later, the suspect's location was traced to a hotel on the Lavelle Road-St Mark's Road stretch. Police rushed there, rescued the boy and arrested Chirag.
Comments
Uppi, Anupama and now sudeep. Game will be tough. Major fronts should sack these people
This time election will be tough enough for congress. There are many chances for spliting cong votes. BJP votes will be stable.
HDK knows that he cant win alone. One major public figure should support.
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