Nothing seems to be going right for the JD(S) first family after the party’s ignominous defeat in the recent Lok Sabha bypolls. Seen as the moving force behind the Opposition alliance, Janata Dal honcho H D Kumaraswamy has become the target of ire within the JD(S) and an object of scorn outside. His father H D Deve Gowda is under welcome pleasure to elect a new president in Kumaraswamy’s place and clean up the “communal” image the party has supposedly acquired because of his son’s efforts. To make matters worse, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is adding salt to their woes by stripping Gowda’s son-in-law Dr C N Manjunath director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences of his powers. Manjunathh has been the director since 2006, but was in for a rude shock last week when Dr N M Prasad, a close friend of PWD Minister H C Mahadevappa was given all powers vested with the director leaving Manjunath the nominal head.
Kumaraswamy couldn’t keep quiet and said, “If the CM has any grouse against us, let him take revenge on us. Why is he targetting our relatives?’’
The party is sailing without a captain. Kumaraswamy resigned as party president and Opposition Leader in the State Legislative Assembly, owning ‘moral responsibility’ for the electoral debacle.
The top leadership is in turmoil with souring of relations between H D Kumaraswamy and his father H D Deve Gowda leading to problems in finding a suitable successor to Kumarswamy.
It is learnt that the state JD(S) leaders unhappy over the ‘unilateral’ decision taken by Kumaraswamy to have ‘tacit’ understanding with BJP felt continuing the alliance with BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections will harm the party’s secular credentials and traditional JD(S) voters like Muslims, SCs/STs and backward classes would switch loyalty to Congress, if JD(S) had any kind of prepoll or postpoll alliance with the saffron party.
Deve Gowda announced fielding candidates in all the 28 LS constituencies whatever may be the outcome displeasing Kumaraswamy.