What about 'Secular' in JD(S), ask party men as Gowdas ally with BJP

JD(S), which enjoys considerable influence in the Old Mysuru region even today, witnessed its worst drubbing in the 2023 Karnataka state Assembly elections. The party won just 19 seats compared to 31 seats in 2018. Its dream of calling the shots and even playing the role of a kingmaker suffered a setback as the Congress achieved a thumping majority. 

JD(S)'s poor performance in the state is also because Kumaraswamy's influence has been waning in the Old Mysuru region, a Vokkaliga bastion. Congress state president DK Shivakumar is meanwhile wielding more power in the area, and the Vokkaliga community. These factors played a role in driving the JD(S) leadership into the arms of the BJP.

What's troubling JD(S) leaders 

Notably, JD(S) leaders are troubled because the party is moving away from the concept of 'secular', which is attached to the party's name. In 1999, when the undivided Janata Dal led by former CM Ramakrishna Hegde and others supported the BJP-led NDA, it had named itself JD(United). At that time, however, Kumaraswamy's father former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's faction broke away from JD(U) to become JD(Secular).

To be secular is a critical component of the party, said JD(S) leaders, who quote Deve Gowda as having described the birth of the JD(S) as a counter-reaction to BJP's 'communal' nature.

"Contrary to the ethos and spirit of the birth of the party, the JD(S) has now become a part of NDA and the BJP is more communal than ever. This development has pinched our hearts," said a JD(S) leader and MLA, who preferred to be anonymous. Further, the MLA told The Federal that along with him, many of his fellow MLAs want to leave the party soon.

According to the JD(S) MLA, the people of Karnataka want a party to actively represent the regional sentiments and not depend solely on national parties. "Also, we all grew up in politics engaged in anti-BJP political behaviour. Now, it's very sad we have to be part of the NDA alliance," he pointed out.

"Now, the JD(S) has to support the misdeeds of the Union government," lamented a JD(S) office bearer. "I am discussing with my supporters and will decide on resigning," he told The Federal.

Support fake narratives

Another MLA from the Mysuru region highlighted the irony of joining hands with the BJP, which tried to create fake heroes such as 'Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda' and build them as historical figures involved in the killing of Tipu Sultan. "JD(S) was the only party which pushed the Vokkaliga Seer Nirmalananda Nath to ask the BJP Ministers to stop this false narrative. Now our leaders will make us support BJP's fake narratives," he added.

The MLA also brought up the issue of JD(S)'s support for Union minister Prahlad Joshi. "HDK was the one who had alleged that BJP and RSS were planning to make a Marathi clan Peshwa as the CM of Karnataka. He was hinting at Union minister Pralhad Joshi, calling him the 'blue-eyed boy of the Sangh Parivar'. Joshi belongs to the Brahmin community, which split the Sringeri Mutt and had also assassinated Mahatma Gandhi (Godse)," the MLA said. Now, "how will HDK support Joshi in the elections being a part of NDA in Karnataka," he asked.

Meanwhile, a Muslim leader from JD(S) hit out at HDK, saying the latter and his team will now have to accept the BJP's theory of Tipu Sultan as a communal king, who was anti-Kannadiga. Earlier, the JD(S) was the one who fought the BJP for creating a 'fake' history around Tipu Sultan.

"Also, the Muslim JD(S) leader said that minorities have started leaving the party after the JD(S) started going soft on the BJP," the Muslim leader pointed out. In fact, Syed Shafiullah Saheb on September 23 had resigned from the posts of state vice-president and state office charge, the leader added.

Father-son politics

JD(S) leaders also felt the party had become weak because of Deve Gowda family's hold over the party. Office bearers are state party presidents only in name and hold other posts as office bearers without any power, said a JD(S) leader, adding that all decisions are made by the family members.

This has led to the downfall of the party which got the minimum seats in the last May 2023 Assembly elections. No other Vokkaliga voice can be heard in the party, said a JD(S) MLC. The JD(S) MLC also pointed out that though the JD(S) is described as a Vokkaliga party, the community has understood that no other Vokkaliga leaders other than Deve Gowda's family wield power in the party. "This has led 9 JD(S) MLAs to make moves towards the Congress and towards a more stronger Vokkaliga leader like DK Shivakumar. Political leaders know that allying with the BJP for the sake of one family will cost them dearly," he asserted. The MLC further said that at a recent meeting held by HDK, his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy and a few others held with BJP President JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, JD(S) state president CM Ibrahim or any other office bearers of the party were not present. "This indicates that there is no scope for an organisational set-up, but only for a family," he said.

Family rift in JD(S)

The family, meanwhile, is having its own share of squabbles. It is well-known that HD Revanna and HD Kumaraswamy are fighting to gain control of the party and have created two ‘power centres’.

During the Assembly elections, the two factions in the family were vying with each other to wield power in Hasan (which is the home turf of Deve Gowda and Revanna). Revanna's worry is the importance being given to Kumaraswamy's family in the party.

Revanna's wife Bhavani Revanna was also keen to get a chance to become an MLA like Kumaraswamy's wife Anita. The latter got a ticket twice. Bhavani, however, had succeeded in making her son Prajwal Revanna the MP from Hasan, while Nikhil lost in Mandya in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Political analysts believed that former minister and MLA Revanna is the one who is more 'secular' in the party. Revanna, who has 'good connections' with Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, is not happy with the tie-up with the BJP.

Though he travelled to Delhi to be part of Kumaraswamy's team to meet Amit Shah and Nadda, in the last minute he backed out of the meeting, sources added. All of which puts JD(S) in a vulnerable position and it remains to be seen where this alliance is headed in the future.