The Hindu : New Delhi News : JD(S) appoints new State unit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 06, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

New Delhi

New Delhi

JD(S) appoints new State unit

J. Balaji

M.P. Veerendrakumar goes; N.M. Joseph appointed new State president

NEW DELHI: The Janata Dal (Secular) has dissolved its Kerala unit headed by M.P. Veerendrakumar “for violating party discipline and constitution” and appointed a new team led by the former Minister N.M. Joseph.

The JD(S) Political Affairs Committee, at its meeting on Sunday under the leadership of party president and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, decided to strip Mr. Veerendrakumar of his post as he was opposed to the decision to continue the party’s alliance with the ruling Left Democratic Front government. Mr. Gowda said he would not hesitate to take disciplinary action against Mr. Veerendrakumar if he continued “dissident activity.”

On Mr. Veerendrakumar’s charge that Mr. Gowda had, through him, tried for a ministerial berth in the United Progressive Alliance government for his son H.D. Kumaraswamy, he clarified that it was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who telephoned him seeking a letter of support to the government.

Dissident activities

JD(S) secretary-general Kunwar Danish Ali said the dissident activities in Kerala had been going on for several years and it was there during the Lok Sabha elections, but the leadership had been tolerating them in the party’s interest. He charged Mr. Veerendrakumar with trying to get the Congress ticket for his son for the Vadakara seat in the Lok Sabha elections.

But Mr. Ali hastened to add: “the doors are still open (for the rebels) ... provided they fall in line and not oppose the decisions of the party’s executive committee and the leadership.”

A resolution said it had taken a serious view of the statements by Mr. Veerendrakumar, including calling a national executive’s decision on the Kerala issue “stage-managed.” The national executive of the party discussed the Kerala issue for three-and-a-half hours on Saturday and gave an opportunity to Mr. Veerendrakumar and other office-bearers of the Kerala unit, including Varughese George and K.P. Mohan, to present their case. But they were unapologetic about their actions and utterances against the national president and other central leaders and declined to give any commitment whatsoever to the national executive, the resolution said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi