The Hindu : New leadership for Karnataka JD(U)

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 24, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

New leadership for Karnataka JD(U)

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore March 24. The confusion in the Janata Parivar has been compounded with the Union Minister and president of the Janata Dal (United), Sharad Yadav, deciding to retain the party's Karnataka unit under a new leadership.

The former MLC and senior leader from Bellary, N. Thippanna, has been chosen for the post.

Acting from Delhi, Mr. Yadav has dissolved the State committee of the Janata Dal (United), headed by C. Byre Gowda, citing "recent political developments'' as the reason. It amounts to sacking Mr. Gowda who was appointed president of the State unit of the All-India Janata Dal on Wednesday by its national president, S.R. Bommai, in consultation with Ramakrishna Hegde.

Mr. Yadav announced the appointment of Mr. Thippanna as the convener of his party. He also authorised him to hold consultations with the leaders, legislators, and workers, and restructure the organisation. He would be naming the office-bearers and the executive committee within the next fortnight.

With Mr. Yadav's action, which was not unexpected, there will be three Janata Dals in the State and the country: the All-India Janata Dal, the Janata Dal (Secular) headed by Siddaramaiah in the State and the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, at the national level, and the Janata Dal (United) headed by Mr. Yadav at the all-India level.

This is not to mention the other State level political parties in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Orissa which were earlier part of the Janata Dal or the Janata Party, the Samajawadi Party, the Samata Party, the Rashtreeya Janata Dal, and the Biju Janata Dal. Subramanian Swamy has kept his outfit, Janata Party, alive.

The AIJD in Karnataka has been formed with the merger of the main faction of the Janata Dal (U) and a part of the Janata Dal (S).

Those who are likely to be associated with the Janata Dal (U) at the State level are C. Narasimhappa, D.S. Srikantamurthy, H.T. Krishnappa (former Minister), Sriganesh, Irfanullah Sharief, and B. Shreepathy Rao. Mr. Rao was the spokesman of the Janata Dal (U) before the recent developments.

Interestingly, all those who have chosen to keep the Janata Dal (U) flag and symbol alive in the State are staunch followers of Mr. Hegde and are with his Rashtreeya Navanirmana Vedike which continues to exist.

Confounding everyone is the fact that both the AIJD and the Janata Dal (U) claim the blessings of Mr. Hegde who has been flown to the U.K. for medical treatment.

According to sources in the Janata Dal (U), the party would be making its own efforts to bring about the merger of the Janata Parivar.

The developments in the Janata Dal (U) point to the fact that there are leaders and workers who favour remaining in the BJP-led National Development Alliance at the national level and perhaps also at the State level.

Mr. Yadav had resisted pressure on him from the Karnataka leaders who wanted him to come out of the NDA.

Of the three members of the Lok Sabha elected on the party ticket in 1999 (and in alliance with the BJP), the Union Minister of State, Srinivasa Prasad, joined the Samata Party, and Ramesh Jigajinagi (Chikkodi-SC) was for some time with the party led by the former Union Minister, Ramvilas Paswan, and has remained neutral after Mr. Paswan resigned and turned against the NDA.

Mr. Jigajinagi too was a staunch follower of Mr. Hegde.

The loyalty of the other MP, Shashi Kumar (from Chitradurga), is a matter of surmise. He is not with the AIJD, as his name does not figure in the list of office-bearers.

However, despite misgivings over the appointment of Mr. Byre Gowda as the president of the State unit of the AIJD, all the party legislators are by and large with the new party.

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