Southern States - Karnataka   

`Hegde loyalists' upset with Bommai

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Jan. 20. A section of Janata Dal (United) activists, identifying themselves as "Ramakrishna Hegde loyalists", today held a meeting to express their displeasure over the style of functioning of the All-India Janata Dal President-designate, S.R. Bommai, which, they said, was much against the wishes of Mr. Hegde.

Among those who attended the meeting were C. Narasimhappa, N. Thippanna, B. Thippaiah, B. Shreepathy Rao, H.T. Krishnappa, D.S. Srikantamurthy, M.V. Sriganesh, Bharathi Urs, Irfanulla Shariff, and Narayan Kumar.

Mr. Rao said the Hegde loyalists were upset over the manner in which Mr. Bommai had "usurped" the presidentship of the party, more so, when Mr. Hegde was indisposed. "Mr. Hegde had always desired that the All-India Janata Dal should have a collective leadership and wanted a discussion on the Bommai formula before the president of the party was chosen. Mr. Bommai helped himself to the president's post within two hours of the announcement of the merger formula," he charged.

He said the Hegde loyalists would undertake an extensive tour of the State under the leadership of Mr. Thippanna and explain to the workers of the JD(U) and the JD(S) the manner in which a section of the All-India Janata Dal leadership was preventing an effective merger of the two parties. The Hegde loyalists plan to visit Gulbarga, Hubli, Dharwad, and Mysore among other places.

Mr. Rao said Mr. Bommai could continue as the President of the All-India Janata Dal until the formal merger of the JD(U) and the JD(S). Afterwards, the president could be finalised after discussions between H.D. Deve Gowda and Mr. Hegde.

The loyalists said it was unfortunate that Mr. Bommai was functioning as per the "dictates of a small coterie" around him.

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