Southern States - Karnataka   

Somashekar is AIPJD Legislature Party chief

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore June 20. Former Minister and senior leader of the All India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD), B.Somashekar, was today elected leader of the AIPJD Legislature Party at a meeting here.

P.G.R.Sindhia, who was the Leader of the Legislature Party, automatically stands ousted since all JD(U) legislators, barring him, have affirmed their allegiance to the AIPJD in writing.

It is now a matter of time before the AIPJD formally seeks recognition from the presiding officers of the two Houses of the Legislature and a separate block of seats.

For three months Mr. Sindhia had refused to sign an affidavit to indicate his allegiance to the AIPJD.

He had refused to join the AIPJD unless the leaders expressed total commitment to the unification of the JD(U) and the JD(S).

The AIPJD Legislature Party elected the former Minister, Umesh Katti, as the Deputy Leader and the former Minister, B.N. Bachche Gowda, Chief Whip. Basavaraj Horatti will be Floor Leader of the party in the Legislative Council and M.P. Nadagouda his deputy. H. Honnappa will be the party's Chief Whip in the Council.

This puts to rest speculation on whether Mr. Sindhia would be retained leader of the legislature party although he had categorically stated that he would remain with the JD(U).

Mr. Sindhia is now stated to be maintaining a close relationship with the JD(S), headed by the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, and is likely to join that party.

Asked about Ramakrishna Hegde's support to the Janata Party, headed by Vijay Mallya, which had confused the rank and file in the AIPJD, the AIPJD State unit president, C. Byre Gowda, and the chairman of the Political Affairs Committee, M.P. Prakash, said they would seek a clarification from Mr. Hegde after sometime.

"Let Mr. Hegde regain his health and after that we will seek his views," they said.

The AIPJD leaders expressed confidence that Mr. Hegde was with them. "It is only those who doubt if Mr. Hegde is with them that keep referring to his name.

It is an attempt to drive a wedge in the party and thus attempt to gain. We are confident that such attempts will not yield results," the two leaders said.

Referring to the statement of another senior leader that some of the AIPJD leaders had stabbed Mr. Hegde in the back, Mr. Prakash and Mr. Byre Gowda said they were never in the habit of speaking against anybody in the back.

Of the 32 legislators in the erstwhile Janata Dal (U), five were absent at the first meeting of the AIPJD Legislature Party.

While the absence of Mr. Sindhia was self-explanatory, the notable among the other absentees were Hampana Gowda, and Srinivas Gowda although it was mentioned that they had offered an explanation for their absence.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Somashekar is AIPJD Legislature Party chief
• Erring colleges to lose recognition
• Another institution quits consortium
• Nigams: A novel concept that paid rich dividends
• JD(S) calls off merger talks with AIPJD
• No `parallel' CET: Comed-K

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu