HD Kumaraswamy: Wily JD(S) leader with no ideological moorings, who can switch sides with ease

Former chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy (HDK) shuffled a few (secular) feathers when he recently announced an electoral tie-up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Not that it was entirely unexpected for Janata Dal (S) to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold — it has done in the past — but what forced the wily HDK to make a calculated move this time is clear: it’s the question of now or never for the party. Another election drubbing (a mere 19 seats in the recent Assembly polls, its worst tally since its formation in 1999), and it could be all over for what is (or was?) one of the strongest regional parties in the country.

So how tough was it for HDK to come under the NDA fold? Those who know the former Chief Minister say HDK comes with no baggage, unlike his illustrious father, Deve Gowda. For him, what matters is power and it does not matter if it is Congress or BJP, as he has shown in the past, having shared power with both the Congress (2006) and the BJP (2018).

All about political dynamics

If a former JD(S) state president, who does not want to be named, is to be believed, Kumaraswamy does not come with any ideological baggage and is open to sailing with any party or alliance.

“His political career has been characterised by shifting alliances and the need to balance regional and national political dynamics,” a top former JD(S) leader told The Federal, seeking anonymity.

Considered a shrewd strategist by political analysts, he goes to any extent to make his and his party’s presence felt. Though Kumaraswamy began his career as a film distributor and went on to produce films, he quickly took to politics, with no ideological moorings whatsoever.

Triggered a coup in 2016

A look at his career trajectory makes it clear how unpredictable Kumaraswamy is. In fact, it was Kumaraswamy who toppled the JD(S)–Congress alliance government in 2006 and formed a coalition government with the BJP, with BS Yediyurappa (BSY) as its head. After the 2004 assembly elections threw up a fractured mandate, the JD(S), led by HD Deve Gowda, and the Congress formed a coalition government under N Dharam Singh (Congress) and Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (JDS). However, Kumaraswamy staged a political coup with support from JD(S) MLAs and formed a coalition government with the BJP, which helped the saffron party gain a firm toehold and move from strength to strength.

As part of the agreement, Kumaraswamy was to serve as chief minister for the first half (20 months) of the term and then Yediyurappa would take over for the remaining 20 months. The rotational chief ministership led to political instability and frequent disagreements between the alliance partners. Kumaraswamy resigned as chief minister in 2007, which led to the fall of the coalition government. He was accused of ‘cheating’ the BJP.

Kumaraswamy's volte-face 

His sudden volte-face and the fall of the government created sympathy for the BJP and the Lingayats, the dominant community in the state, backed BSY and the BJP. This helped the BJP emerge as a stronger force in state politics.

This is reflected in the outcome of the Assembly elections held in 2008. The BJP secured more seats to form the government on its own under BSY's leadership. This marked the rise of the BJP as an independent political force in South India.

Though the BJP ruled the state for five years, its rule was marred by corruption, including mining scams and land denotification scams. In order to keep his political base intact, Kumaraswamy, the shrewd politician that he is, pursued the scandals aggressively, bringing out many documents on illegal mining and land notifications to expose corruption in the Yediyurappa-led BJP government.

This paved the way for the victory of Congress in the 2013 elections, with Siddaramaiah becoming chief minister. The 2018 Assembly elections again threw up a fractured mandate, which saw Kumaraswamy as a kingmaker. After Congress leader Sonia Gandhi persuaded Deve Gowda to “stop communal BJP from forming a government”, JD(S) went with Congress and Kumaraswamy became the chief minister. However, his government could not survive as the BJP, which was the largest party in the assembly, toppled the coalition government by inducing 17 JD(S) MLAs to resign from the party in what has come to be known as ‘Operation Lotus’.

Kumaraswamy had hoped the 2023 Assembly elections would again throw up a fractured mandate to help him become a kingmaker or maybe wear the crown himself. It was not to be. The Congress stormed to power with a stunning majority, with the BJP getting 65 seats and his party JD(S) 19 seats, its worst-ever show at the hustings.

It is no surprise that he is seeking to lean on the BJP to retain his political base in the state. His shifting alliances, political analysts observe, show his priorities, which depend on the political situation. Party insiders say his father, Deve Gowda, does everything behind the scenes, but HDK is calling the shots now.

Can JD(S) spring back to political relevance? Or as in other states, will BJP devour its tiny allies? The 2024 Lok Sabha polls will answer the query.