JDS calls meeting on Wednesday to resolve dissidence within

Party prez rubbishes talk of leadership crisis
JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda (File Photo)
JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda (File Photo)

BENGALURU: There is trouble brewing in the JDS -- after former MLAs Madhu Bangarappa and Manjunath made open statements about the leadership, there are loud murmurs within the party and more leaders are preparing to washing dirty linen in public. The list of disgruntled party members is long, and if they go public, it will be difficult for the JDS to contain the damage, say party sources.

At best, the party appears beset with disgruntlement. At worst, it could be a meltdown.
JDS state president HK Kumaraswamy told TNIE, “We have called a JDS Legislature Party meeting on Wednesday evening, where we will address all these issues.’’ Asked about leaders like Manjunath openly challenging the party leadership, he said, “Let those who want to go, go.’’ He is echoing the statement of party leader and former CM HD Kumaraswamy.

There are two MLAs who are seriously challenging the party -- Chamundeshwari MLA GT Devegowda and Gubbi MLA Srinivas Gowda. The thinking in the JDS is that if they keep speaking against the party and embarrassing the leadership, they might be expelled from the party and don’t have to get elected again. But if they leave, they have to face a re-election.

Asked if there was a leadership crisis in the party, and about the recent public outbursts by some senior leaders, including the high-profile Ediga leader Madhu Bangarappa, Kumaraswamy said, “Their outburst is not a reflection of a leadership crisis. If they are disciplined and loyal to the party, why would they embarrass the leadership by going public with their issues? In the case of Madhu Bangarappa, we called for a separate ‘Karyakarthara Sabhe’ and ‘Karyakarini Sabhe’ meeting and even HD Kumaraswamy and I called him to attend, but he didn’t respond.”

The JDS has already lost a large number of workers and leaders eighter to the Congress or the BJP.

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