MYSURU: JDS top leaders would have had a sense of relief after party supremo HD Deve Gowda succeeded in convincing disgruntled party MLA GT Deve Gowda to stay with the party. But for the cadres on the ground, it is a challenge to forget the insults of the past and work again for GT Deve Gowda (GTD) in the Chamundeshwari constituency.
GTD has openly rebelled against JDS, while his animosity with HD Kumaraswamy over the last three years is well known. He campaigned against JDS candidate Manje Gowda in the Council election too, and had said he had closed the doors for HD Deve Gowda. Having decided to quit JDS, he was searching for a fresh political pasture in Congress or BJP.
He had shared the dais with Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramiah but had also warmed up to BJP senior leader BS Yediyurappa. As it was near certain that GTD would contest the 2023 Assembly elections from Congress or BJP, the JDS top leadership had asked local leaders to work with the single-minded agenda of defeating GTD in Chamundeshwari. But the latest rapprochement has disappointed, if not confused, them and made them register their dissent openly.
Though GTD may be happy that HD Deve Gowda has promised tickets for him and his son Harish Gowda, who wants to contest from Hunsur, they will find the going tough during the Assembly polls in both the constituencies. In Hunsur, JDS workers are upset that the father-son duo worked for the Congress candidate during the bypoll after AH Vishwanath resigned.
Top leaders have said that leaders SaRa Mahesh, MLC Manje Gowda and others should rise above factionalism and work for the party candidates. But sources said JDS leaders Sidde Gowda, Shivamurthy, Beerehundi Basavanna, former ZP member Made Gowda are planning to meet party cadres from all booths to galvanise those opposed to GTD.
Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah, are closely watching the developments in JDS and may have to work out a strategy in Chamundeshwari. BJP leaders, who had thrown their weight behind GTD in 2018 to defeat Siddaramaiah, too are annoyed.