K'taka CM HD Kumaraswamy steps down, AH Vishwanath unanimously JD(S) new president

Bengaluru: In a significant change of guard, former MP and Hunsur MLA Mr A.H. Vishwanath was unanimously chosen as JD(S) state president replacing Chief Minister Mr H.D. Kumaraswamy, who already has a lot on his plate.

Announcing this on Sunday, JD(S) patriarch Mr H.D. Deve Gowda said that the party will be giving more opportunity to youth, backward classes, minorities and the Lingayat community too. He said party leaders will start their state tour from August 11.

In the next 10 days, the party will release a list of new office bearers and during the tour, the defunct local units would be changed.

Taking a dig at BJP State President Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa, Mr Gowda said that a national party was trying to misinterpret the farm loan waiver scheme. The JD(S) will bring out a booklet on the issue and place it before the people, he said and added that Mr Kumaraswamy was not chief minister for just three districts and was CM of the entire state.

“I have worked as irrigation minister, chief minister and prime minister. I have not worked on caste or community lines and I would like to remind Mr Yeddyurappa about this. I have nothing to say to him, I will talk to my people,” he remarked.

Taking over as the new JD(S) president, Mr Vishwanath said that he had been given a big responsibility. The first agenda before him was to make people understand the truth behind government decisions and he would work to reach them to more people. “The party will give more representation to people from all castes and religions and youth too,”' he said.

Mr Vishwanath, a former Congress leader, had joined the JD(S) ahead of the assembly elections in May last. A former MP and three-time MLA, he is considered a master strategist. A former Congress leader, he had joined the JD(S) ahead of the assembly elections in May last. A former MP and three-time MLA, he is considered a master strategist.