BENGALURU: Despite his humiliating defeat in Mandya against BJP-backed independent candidate Sumalatha, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumar was on Thursday appointed president of the Yuva Janata Dal. In a series of appointments to posts of office-bearers, JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda made it official that five-time MLA currently representing Sakaleshpura and prominent Dalit face HK Kumaraswamy will replace H Vishwanath as the State President of the JDS.
Another prominent appointment was that of Madhu Bangarappa as the Working President of the party. The most interesting appointment, however, was that of Sharanagouda Kandakur, son of Gurmitkal JDS MLA Naganagowda Kandakur. Sharanagouda is best known in the party for recording a phone conversation where BJP State President B S Yeddyurappa can allegedly be heard luring MLAs of the JDS, specifically his father Naganagowda, to desert the coalition.
The audiotape purportedly recorded by Sharanagouda was released in a press conference on the day of the State budget by Chief minister Kumaraswamy causing major embarrassment to the BJP. Sharanagouda Kandakur seems to have been rewarded for ‘stinging’ Yeddyurappa. “We wanted Sharanagouda Kandakur to be the Youth wing President but he refused and insisted that Nikhil Kumaraswamy should take the post,” said Deve Gowda justifying Nikhil’s appointment. “This decision has been taken in consultation with all senior leaders. Lakhs of JDS workers have expressed belief in me and have given me this responsibility,” said Nikhil Kumar as he took charge.
HK Kumaraswamy a prominent Dalit face seems to have been picked to lead the party as its State President with a clear intention to create a more ‘inclusive’ image of the party. The JDS has often been criticised of being a ‘Vokkaliga’ only party that has been its minority vote base shift to the Congress over the years. Pushed by the necessity to reinvent its perception and expand its vote base, sources in the party suggest that Kumaraswamy has been given the top job to send out a message to the Dalit community that JDS could be an alternative for them.
Madhu Bangarappa, despite losing the Shimoga Lok Sabha seat to BY Raghavendra, has been made the working president for his work with the party as well as his comfort level with alliance partners Congress. Other appointments include NS Nabi and K Gopalaiah as Senior Vice-Presidents and R Manjunath as Vice President. Youth wing appointments include NM Noor Ahmed as Working President, Narasimhamurthy as Senior Vice President and Cb Suresh Babu as President for State booth committee. Khanapur’s Naseer Bhagwan has been named President for the Minority cell.