The Janata Dal (Secular), with a growing presence in Karnataka, has been in the midst of a simmering discontent among a section of the leaders caught between the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, considered the fountainhead of the party, and his son and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who is endowed with the talent to build a vibrant party.
In its latest effort to nip the growing dissent in the bud, the party leadership announced the office-bearers for the State unit.
The selection of Mr. Kumaraswamy as the State president is expected to put to rest the internal differences, although it may not bring cheers to the group associated with H.D. Revanna, elder son of Mr. Gowda and former Minister. Mr. Gowda will have to continue to play the role an adjudicator to ensure harmony within the party.
If some of the leaders have been wanting Mr. Kumaraswamy to be at the helm of affairs in the State unit, there are others whose persistent demand has been to have a non-family person to take charge, given the fact that the JD(S) is more a Deve Gowda family-run outfit. The former Prime Minister, who is the national president of the JD(S), gauging the mood of a large section of the partymen, has preferred Mr. Kumaraswamy to head the State unit.
Groupism within the JD(S) had come out in the open over the past weekend, with a section of them led by Basavaraj Horatti (elected for a record six times to the Legislative Council) holding a conclave of party representatives from eight districts at Hubbali. Most of the JD(S) workers and leaders have over the years rallied behind Mr. Kumaraswamy since they believe that the future of the party rests in him.
Banner of revoltA section of the minority leaders in the party have also raised a banner of revolt, and one among them — Abdul Azeem — has since crossed over to the Bharatiya Janata Party. B.Z. Zameer Ahmed, a legislator, has also raised his dissent although he has for long been a close associate of Mr. Kumaraswamy.
The JD(S) has been without a State president for over six months after A. Krishnappa passed away during the Lok Sabha elections in May. However, the JD(S) has been successful, thus far, with Mr. Gowda, a seasoned politician with a standing of over five decades, taking the final call on all matters pertaining to the party.
That the JD(S) is an all-family affair — similar to that of several other family-run political parties — is well-known and in recent times, even some members of the third generation of the family have marked their political debut.
Interestingly, whether it be Mr. Gowda or his two sons in the JD(S), they have been winners in successive elections to exhibit that they are all there on merit.
