Berth pangs: Sulking Basavaraj Horatti to bid bye to JD(S) after 35 years?

Kalaburagi: Senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader, Basavaraj Horatti, who is sulking over being denied a ministerial berth, is reportedly toying with the idea of bidding goodbye to the party he has been associated with for over 35 years.

According to well placed sources, Mr Horatti is discussing the matter with his supporters and could take a decision soon as he strongly feels there is no point in him continuing in the JDS when it has not treated him well. His supporters, who are advising him to quit the party, plan to hold protests in different parts of Belgaum division where he is hugely popular and a big rally been scheduled in Hubballi on Saturday to draw the attention of the JD(S) leadership to the issue.

Mr Horatti is reported to be particularly unhappy with the way he has been treated by JD(S) supremo, H D Deve Gowda after his long and unstinting loyalty to the party.

“Mr Horatti, who has been elected to the Legislative Council from the North West Teachers’ Constituency for a record seventh consecutive term, is one of the seniormost leaders of the JD(S) and one of its most influential leaders in North Karnataka. He has remained loyal to the JD(S) while many Lingyat leaders from North Karnataka, and others have deserted it on multiple occasions. His dynamism and no -nonsense attitude are well appreciated in political circles. But see how he has been treated by the party?” said a senior leader of the party and his supporter.

As for Mr Deve Gowda questioning Mr Horatti’s contribution to the party, those loyal to him argue that if anyone has to be blamed for the annihilation of the JD(S) in North Karnataka, it has to be Mr Deve Gowda himself for not paying enough attention to the region in the past.