Congress pact: H D Kumaraswamy faces rebellion

BENGALURU: Differences among leaders of the state unit of JD(S) are out in the open with former minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy and other legislators joining issue with state unit chief H.D. Kumaraswamy on an abortive move to forge an alliance with the ruling Congress for next month’s elections to the Legislative Council.

Mr Cheluvarayaswamy, who came along with two other legislators Zameer Ahamed Khan and Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy to apologise to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his residence on Saturday after both Mr Kumaraswamy and his father and party patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda announced that the party would contest the polls on its own, took umbrage to being described as “Congress party agents” by the former chief minister.

These legislators told the media that they met Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh only after getting a go-ahead signal from Mr Deve Gowda. “We did not initiate any talks on our own. Until Mr Deve Gowda asked us to reach out to CM Siddaramaiah and Mr Digvijay Singh and discuss about a possible alliance between both parties, we did not move. Otherwise, where was the necessity for us to get involved in these talks," they queried.

The former minister admitted that Mr Zameer Ahamed, Mr Murthy andhimself called on Mr Siddaramaiah only to apologize to him after having made the first move about an alliance at the behest of Mr Gowda.

Sources in JD (S) said Mr Ahamed's frequent parleys with Mr Siddaramaiah upset Mr Kumaraswamy particularly as his former minister made similar moves earlier to strike a deal with Congress leaders for grabbing the posts of Mayor and deputy Mayor in BBMP.

“This has not gone down well with Mr Kumaraswamy, as Mr Ahamed had hogged the limelight when alliance was struck earlier Seething with anger, Mr Kumaraswamy ensured that his party struck an alliance with BJP in Mysuru to elect the new Mayor soon after this episode just to demonstrate that he was the boss of his party,” sources disclosed to DC. Sources said though Mr Gowda was in favour of an alliance with Congress, he succumbed to pressure from Mr Kumaraswamy who reportedly broke down in the former’s presence on Thursday.

The upshot: Mr Gowda issued a statement that talks between both parties were off. “Soon after the news about Mr Ahamed meeting Mr Singh broke, Mr Kumaraswamy issued contradictory statement. Mr Singh even reportedly faxed copies of various newspaper reports, seeking an explanation from Mr Ahamed,” sources said.

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