In a significant political development, the president of Karnataka’s Janata Dal (Secular), CM Ibrahim, has been removed from his post by the party’s national president and former Prime Minister, HD Deve Gowda. This decision comes just days after Ibrahim openly criticized the BJP-JDS alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The shakeup in the leadership of JD(S) was announced by HD Deve Gowda, who also dissolved the state working committee and appointed his son and former chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy, as the ad-hoc president of the party’s state unit. Kumaraswamy expressed his commitment to strengthening the party, stating, “To strengthen the party, our national president today took the decision to dissolve the old unit and announced the ad-hoc committee in my leadership… Naturally, it will be communicated to him (CM Ibrahim)…My responsibility is to strengthen the party…My concentration is to develop my party.”
The decision to remove CM Ibrahim from his position follows his vocal opposition to the BJP-JDS alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Earlier this week, Ibrahim held a meeting with ‘like-minded’ individuals within JD(S) and declared that the party under his leadership represents the original JD(S). He also announced the formation of a core committee that would submit a memorandum to the party’s leadership, emphasizing that the JD(S) should not align with the BJP.
H D Kumaraswamy had previously criticized Ibrahim’s dissent, suggesting that the former JD(S) chief should take action if he believes his faction represents the original party. “If his (Ibrahim’s) party is original, then let him put up a board that he is the original one. Who has stopped him? Let him do whatever he wants. He is free to do it. It is left to him,” Kumaraswamy had remarked.
CM Ibrahim, a former union minister, had hinted at a potential split within the party, arguing that his faction represents the true essence of the JD(S) as a ‘secular’ party. He had further stated, “Those who want to come with us can come, those who want to leave can do so. We will see how many MLAs are with which side.”
The JD(S) had announced an alliance with the BJP and joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. This political upheaval underscores the internal divisions within the party, as leaders grapple with the implications of the BJP alliance and the road ahead for JD(S) in Karnataka politics.
Sources By Agencies
