The Janata Dal (Secular) district convention held here on Sunday saw a large turnout, although the convention began late.
A number of party heavyweights and new comers such as actor Pooja Gandhi attended the convention. The convention was preceded by a rally that began from the Tribhuvana Tilaka Choodamani Basadi (popularly known as the Thousand Pillar Basadi) and ended at Swaraj Maidan, the venue of the convention.
The Janata Dal (Secular) national president, H.D. Deve Gowda, who inaugurated the convention, said the party leadership was not drawn from just one caste. There were people from all castes and communities in the leadership.
In what appeared to be a thinly veiled dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr. Deve Gowda said he would not talk “highly” about one religion while portraying another religion in a derogatory manner.
Mr. Deve Gowda said that the time had come when people would rout the two national parties namely the Congress and the BJP.
Sidelined
JD(S) Dakshina Kannada district unit president M.B. Sadashiva said the Congress had been sidelined and that unlike other parties the Janata Dal (Secular) leaders remained untainted by scams or scandals.
Ms. Gandhi said she had seen first hand the problems that the poor people faced in rural areas and no one helped them. She said the JD(S) worked for such people, prompting her to join the party.
