Kumaraswamy still Leader of Opposition in Assembly

H.D. Kumaraswamy and H.D. Deve Gowda are learnt to have pacified disgruntled legislators

Janata Dal (Secular) leaders N. Cheluvarayaswamy, H.D. Kumaraswamy and Zameer Ahmed at the JDLP meeting in Bangalore on Thursday.

The Janata Dal (Secular) Legislative Party (JDLP) on Thursday rejected the resignation of H.D. Kumaraswamy from the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly. The legislators unanimously retain him as their leader.

However, his resignation as JD(S) State president has been accepted and the yet-to-be-formed core committee of the party will choose the new president by next Tuesday, party sources said.

JD(S) legislators of both the Lower and Upper houses, who met at a resort on the outskirts of the city, appealed to Mr. Kumaraswamy to continue as their leader.

Good participation

Apart from Basavakalyan MLA Mallikarjun Khuba and Magadi MLA H.C. Balakrishna, all the 38 MLAs and 12 MLCs participated in the JDLP meeting. Party leaders H.D. Kumaraswamy and the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda are learnt to have pacified disgruntled legislators Zameer Ahmed Khan of Chamarajpet, and Mr. Khuba and Pilla Munishamappa of Devanahalli.

Mr. Khan was said to be upset with Mr. Kumaraswamy’s decision to have a tie-up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the bypolls and because he did not campaign for party candidate in the LS bypolls.

It was also said that Mr. Khan was a contender for the post of chief whip in the Assembly and he was upset as Mr. Kumaraswamy and Mr. Deve Gowda were favouring Madhu Bangarappa, Sorab MLA.

Incidentally Mr. Khuba is also eyeing the post. Upset with Mr. Kumaraswamy’s resignation as State president, he had written to Mr. Gowda saying he would quit the party if he is denied the post of chief whip. Now the party leaders are in a fix: should they please Mr. Khan or Mr. Khuba? “The party has to take a cautious decision, as it is a tricky situation,” said a senior party leader.

Another contest

Similarly, there is competition between party spokesperson and Kadur MLA Y.S.V. Datta and Sakleshpur MLA H.K. Kumaraswamy for the post of Deputy Leader in the Assembly. While Mr. Kumaraswamy has to his credit of getting elected five times from Sakleshpur, Mr. Datta is said to be a good orator.