JDS netas give ultimatum to sort issues as London-bound HDK skips meet

The internal rift is growing in Karnataka’s only significant regional party as MLAs and MLCs in JDS have now issued an ultimatum to the party high command. This came after the latest attempt by JDS supremo HD Devegowda to get the discontent party leaders to sort issues with his son HD Kumaraswamy also failed.

In order to arbitrate between the aggrieved leaders and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Devegowda called for a meeting on November 6th but the latter decided to give it a skip and flew off to London. Kumaraswamy, who is also a producer of Kannada films, accompanied by his actor-son Nikhil Kumaraswamy left to London for his upcoming film. 

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Last two months, close to two dozen party leaders have been voicing their discontentment regarding how the party is being run and how the old-timers have been treated by Kumaraswamy, particularly after the collapse of his government. While the number of disgruntled leaders and their grievances has been increasing, Kumaraswamy has refused to address their issues. 

While these leaders have held several meetings in private hotels in Bangalore for over a month, they met with Devegowda in his residence in South Bengaluru last week and apprised him of a mass exodus in the offing, if their issues are not ironed out. The JDS patriarch assured them of mediating between them and his sons, Kumaraswamy and Revanna, and said he will chair a meeting on November 4th.

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Kumaraswamy to take 14 legislators to Malaysia

Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy intended to take 14 of the unhappy legislators to Malaysia to spend time with them and ensure they don't leave the party fold. A senior member of the legislative council, Basavaraj Horatti, who has been leading the rebellion, informed Kumaraswamy that 11 of them will not be traveling to Malaysia with him as they do not want to abandon the state at a time when work on Flood relief is still in progress in North Karnataka. 

Finally, realizing the futility of the exercise, Devegowda called off the trip and instead offered to resolve their problems. The legislators have had a plethora of complaints against Kumaraswamy, from his behavior ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Mandya where his son contested and lost, to his ambiguity in warming up to the BJP and the current Karnataka government. But the primary concern has been sideling of dozens of party loyalists and not being available to them post the collapse of his government.

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JDS leaders issue ultimatum to sort their grievances after HDK decides to skip yet another meet, flies off to London