Earlier this week, the Janata Dal (Secular) replaced MLA and former minister G T Devegowda as head of the party’s core committee with former Deputy Speaker M Krishna Reddy, even as the younger generation of party founder H D Deve Gowda’s family assumed important positions.
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In recent months, five-time legislator G T Devegowda had distanced himself from the JD(S) despite being appointed the core committee chief in August 2023. He was unhappy about not being appointed the leader of the JD(S) legislature party, it is learnt. Though he had eyed the post vacated by Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, the party decided to appoint C B Suresh Babu, thereby alienating him further.
“Removing Devegowda was essential as he was not interested in party affairs and had not convened any meeting in recent days. The core committee has to be active considering that local body and Greater Bengaluru Authority polls will be held soon,” said a former JD(S) legislator.
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On whether Devegowda would resign from the party, the legislator said it was unlikely as he was only halfway through his term as the MLA of Chamundeshwari in Mysuru. “Moreover, he is wary that contesting a bypoll on a Congress ticket won’t sit well with his electorate,” he added.
Devegowda emerged as a giant slayer in the 2018 Assembly polls, defeating Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Chamundeshwari. Ahead of the 2023 polls, speculation was rife that he would join the Congress, but his insistence on a nomination for his son was the deal-breaker.
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It was then that JD(S) supremo and former PM H D Deve Gowda visited G T Devegowda’s residence in Mysuru to pacify him. Both Devegowda and his son G D Harish won on JD(S) tickets, the latter from Hunsur.
Of late, Devegowda has defended Siddaramaiah on several occasions, once again triggering speculation that he could join the Congress. Responding to this, Siddaramaiah said Monday in Mysuru that anyone was welcome to join the party.
The JD(S) has also decided to entrust more responsibility to JD(S) Youth Wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy in party affairs. He was appointed a member of the political affairs committee, headed by his father Kumaraswamy, along with former MLAs Sa Ra Mahesh, Bandeppa Kashempur, and others. Since Kumaraswamy was appointed Union Minister, Nikhil has emerged as the party’s face in Karnataka.
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While MLA and former minister H D Revanna, another member of the JD(S)’s first family, was retained as a member of the core committee, his son and MLC Suraj Revanna was made a member of the Y S V Dutta-led campaign committee. G T Devegowda’s son Harish has also been inducted into this panel.
On whether the Gowda family was tightening its control over the party, the legislator said all senior leaders were being accommodated with specific roles. “Many senior leaders are part of various committees formed recently,” he said.
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