Deve Gowda provides a plan for JD(S): Jointly fighting the Cong in the House; running alone in the 2024 elections

JD(S) leader quashes rumors that Kumaraswamy will win the LoP position with BJP assistance and reassures Muslim-supporting MLAs worried about the party's "rightwards tilt" since the Assembly elections.

                                                          image source:indianexpress

The Janata Dal (Secular) meeting, presided over by party leader and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, took place this week in Bengaluru and solidified the party's plans for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The JD(S) cooperating with the BJP to fight the Congress in the Legislature, but fighting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections independently; and that even for the JD(S), an alliance would depend on a given situation. These include not pressing for the name of former CM and Deve Gowda's son H D Kumaraswamy as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Karnataka Assembly.

Kumaraswamy, who purportedly has been leaning toward the BJP recently, was not present for the meeting. It listed issues.Among some JD(S) members, there has been concern over what they believe to be the party's rightward lean following its defeat in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.Deve Gowda reaffirmed the JD(S)'s commitment to maintaining its autonomous identity in local, state, and federal politics throughout the meeting. Even more, he claimed that Kumaraswamy will not become the LoP with the support of the BJP because the BJP is in the process of selecting a new state unit president and floor leader for the state Assembly.Among some JD(S) members, there has been concern over what they believe to be the party's rightward lean following its defeat in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.Deve Gowda reaffirmed the JD(S)'s commitment to maintaining its autonomous identity in local, state, and federal politics throughout the meeting. Even more, he claimed that Kumaraswamy will not become the LoP with the support of the BJP because the BJP is in the process of selecting a new state unit president and floor leader for the state Assembly.

"Reports based on rumors about Kumaraswamy becoming the leader of the opposition have surfaced. They are currently selecting their own LoP. Rumor-based stories have been printed. When will they choose their own party's leader and president?the Opposition, the subject is concluded," Deve Gowda said on Tuesday.

The nomination of a floor leader and a new party president has already been the subject of one round of debate inside the BJP. They are considering [Basangouda Patil] Yatnal as the floor leader (LoP) and Chikamagalur Ravi (C T Ravi) as the president. The JD(S) leader added, "However, we are not paying attention to what is happening in their party. " His party would collaborate with the BJP to oppose the Congress in the state legislature.

Deve Gowda further stated that the JD(S) was uniting with the BJP in the Legislative Assembly to form an alliance with its 85 MLAs, including the BJP's 66 and the JD(S)'s 19, against the Congress, which has 66.135 MLAs.

"The JD(S) is an unofficial party in Karnataka, although the BJP is the recognized opposition party there. Both the BJP and Kumaraswamy would ask for an adjournment of the debate on the same topic. How do the Speaker's privileges become decided? Priority will be given to the officially recognized opposition before turning to the officially unrecognized opposition, the JD(S). After conversations, they will stage a walkout, and after we address the same topic, we will also stage a walkout. We have chosen floor coordination to prevent such occurrences. We've done this in the past as the opposition, with both the Congress and the BJP," he remarked.According to state JD(S) president C M Ibrahim, "two major subjects were discussed in our meeting — one is for creating a committee (to revive the party) under the leadership of G T Deve Gowda; the other is to fight the next Lok Sabha polls independently, but to leave the decision on providing support to the Opposition (BJP) in the Assembly to the leader of the JD(S) Legislature Party (Kumaraswamy) on bills and issues according to the subjects."

The strategy discussion was called in response to worries from some leaders, including G T Deve Gowda and C M Ibrahim, that the JD(S), under Kumaraswamy's leadership, was severing its relations with its minority followers by siding with the BJP in the state Legislature.

Several JD(S) leadersMany of my Muslim constituents are concerned about the effects of the JD(S)'s collaboration with the BJP. Furthermore, Kumaraswamy, not Deve Gowda, now has a mostly dominant position within the party. Deve Gowda addressed party concerns at the strategy meeting while Kumaraswamy was away, according to sources with the JD(S).

Deve Gowda claimed that our primary goal is to reestablish the party we founded. The cadre needs to be ready. We have hope that people will stick by us because we have helped them; this includes women, workers, and farmers. JD(S) MLA G T stated, "We have not created the party on caste lines, but as a forum for all.Gowda, Deve.

The party patriarch accused the JD(S) of the problem while criticizing the Congress for going "secular as per convenience" at the meeting. He added that just because the JD(S) gained 19 seats in the 2023 elections in Karnataka, it was not appropriate to write the party off.

The Congress only practices secularism on occasion, and when they do, they claim we do not. They discuss secularism in a way that suits them. A government without the Congress was formed in Karnataka in 1983 by the Janata Party, along with the BJP, Communists, and Independents. Ramakrishna Hegde served as the CM. Siddaramaiah held a position in the government at the time, and we were affiliated with the BJP. associations in politicsare forged based on the circumstances, stated Deve Gowda.are forged based on the circumstances, stated Deve Gowda.

He added that the JD(S) will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections independently despite working with the BJP to oppose the Congress in the legislature. "We'll fight on our own. Manmohan Singh, the ex-PM, came to us when we had three seats and asked for our support. We gave it to him. We shall make a decision based on the circumstances that present themselves at a specific historical period in the interest of a stable government in the nation. The party will make the decision, he said.

He further claimed that he was prevented from attending the two combined meetings of the opposition parties, which are now united under the INDIA banner, because the state Congress did not want him to.for him to come. "National politics are not changing, so that is not the issue. Deve Gowda would not attend a meeting, according to several local Congress officials. They did not call me as a result. My friend Nitish Kumar thought I ought to be contacted, but the local Congress officials claimed I wouldn't show up even if I were," Deve Gowda stated.

Sharad Pawar attended the gathering. But they will back the NDA since that is what has actually transpired. Every day, a lot happens in the world of politics. After the conference in Bengaluru, this has transpired. No one can foretell the changes that will occur based on the circumstances. the firstsaid PM.

content source:https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/deve-gowda-jds-karnataka-bjp-against-cong-solo-2024-polls-political-pulse-8862780/