JD(S) meet generates heat, Gowda kin to mend ways

BENGALURU: At the end of much plain speaking about the style of functioning of senior leaders by several JD(S) legislators at a meeting called by former chief minister H. D. Kumaraswamy here on Wednesday, a decision was taken to constitute a core committee to manage the affairs of the party and to shed its image as a “father and sons” entity.

Mr. D. Nagarajaiah of Kunigal, who took the initiative, minced no words as he criticised party patriarch H. D. Deve Gowda, his son Mr. Kumaraswamy and other members of their family for causing confusion among leaders and workers.

“In some cases, both of you give different statements. This creates confusion among party workers. We don’t know the reason behind Mr. Gowda’s decision to shift his base to Hassan, but the move has sent a wrong signal to workers. Why should the party suffer because of lack of coordination between you two?

“During a party workers’ conference, Mr. Gowda said those who want to go out of the party are free to do so. Who he is he hinting at? Besides, he said the victory in Mandya (Lok Sabha seat) was because of differences between Mr. Ambareesh and Mr. S.M. Krishna. What should our party workers, who fought these leaders, think?”

Other legislators, including Mr. Kumaraswamy’s die-hard supporters Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy (Nagamangala) and Mr. H.G. Balakrishna (Magadi), expressed anguish about suggestions that they were the cause for the former chief minister’s wayward lifestyle and that they were about to jump ship and join the Congress.

Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy vowed never to visit Mr. Kumaraswamy at his guest house in a posh precinct in Bengaluru.

At his interaction with media persons, Mr. Kumaraswamy, however, blamed the media while maintaining that all was well in the party.

“The reason for deciding to constitute a core committee is because of reports that all decisions pertaining to the party are taken by father and sons (H.D. Deve Gowda, himself and H.D. Revanna).

We want to clear such type of misconception,” he said adding that the committee would consist of members of the Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council as also a few senior leaders.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said a new chief for the state unit of the party would be chosen by Mr. Deve Gowda in about a month.

He said when some legislators of his party met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for approval of projects in their constituencies, such meetings were misinterpreted by media persons as significant political developments.