The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Choose an upright leader amongst you, SCs told

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 17, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Choose an upright leader amongst you, SCs told

Special Correspondent

Many people from other parties join Janata Dal (U)
‘Congress, JD (S) and BJP have lost credibility’

Bangalore: President of the State unit of the Janata Dal (United) B. Somashekar has called upon the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the poor to shun party considerations and choose an upright leader who can ensure their welfare.

He was speaking at a function organised to welcome political functionaries to the party fold at Anekal in Bangalore Rural district on Sunday. Over 130 persons joined the Janata Dal (U) from the Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, Janata Dal (S) and BJP on the occasion.

Mr. Somashekar said, “all political parties are alike. For a majority of leaders self is first and society is next. Why do you look at political parties to impose a leader of its choice on you? You select among yourselves. What the State needs today is a visionary leader like the late Ramakrishna Hegde. He had identified leadership qualities in every deserving youth in the party.” He said, contrary to his (Hegde’s) expectations some persons deserted him to join the Janata Dal (S) with an ambition to become chief minister only to repent later. Such people had lost their political weight and credibility and were now looking at which party to join.

“This is a political lesson for all those concerned. It is time you select your leader.”

Launching a broadside at the Congress, Janata Dal (S) and BJP, Mr. Somashekar said they had lost political sanctity and credibility.

They had become like “neo class merchants” committed to land dealings in the name of caste and development. “Even some of the local leaders of the State unit of the BSP are not above board.

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati has emerged as a successful leader in electoral politics only after proving her commitment to the cause of the poor and the downtrodden. But is there any established leader in the State who can equal her in commitment and stature?”

Tracing the genesis of the Janata Dal in the course of national politics, Mr. Somashekar said splits in the party, leading to the formation of Rashtriya Janata Dal, Biju Janata Dal and JD (S) were neither ideological nor people oriented.

It was only the handiwork of “power hungry vested interests keen on establishing their family hold on the party and rule the respective States as their fiefdom.”

The only Janata Dal committed to values of democracy and the political ethics espoused by the late Jayaprakash Narayan was the Janata Dal (U), he declared.

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