Gowda to revoke expulsion of Kumaraswamy and 39 JD (S) MLAs

Smarting under the party’s loss in the recently held by-polls to the Assembly in Karnataka, JD (S) national president H D Deve Gowda has convened a meeting of the party’s national executive in New Delhi on December 25, apparently to revoke the suspension of his son and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and 39 other party MLAs, who had joined hands with the BJP.

Apart from discussing the issue of revoking the suspension of Kumaraswamy and other party MLAs, the national executive is also expected to crack down on dissidents in the party like MP Veerendra Kumar, Surendra Mohan and P G R Sindhia, who had raised a banner of revolt against Gowda.

Gowda, who has already suspended former Minister P G R Sindhia from the party for campaigning in favour of Congress candidate Siddaramaiah in the recently held Assembly by-polls in Karnataka, is expected to strip Veerendra Kumar from the post of the leader of the party’s parliamentary party.

Ahead of the crucial national executive meeting in New Delhi, JD (S) MLAs in Karnataka have already submitted a petition to Gowda urging him to revoke the suspension. The party’s national executive convened in the wake of the formation of the Kumaraswamy-led JD (S)-BJP Government in Karnataka during February this year had decided to suspend the MLAs for joining hands with the “communal” BJP.

However, Gowda, who has softened towards the JD (S)-BJP coalition in Karnataka, is expected to revoke the suspension and initiate action against the party men like Veerendra Kumar, Surendra Mohan and P G R Sindhia, who are questioning his leadership.

Meanwhile, Sindhia told reporters in Bangalore that a parallel national executive of JD (S) will be convened in Trivandrum either on December 22 and 23 by Veerendra Kumar and Surendra Mohan.

He claimed that these leaders, who were critical of Gowda for aligning with the BJP and sacrificing the secular ideals of party, had already “expelled” Gowda from the party. The expulsion of Gowda from the party will be ratified at the national executive of the party to be held at Trivandrum, Sindhia claimed.