Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy seems to have ended speculations about the JD(S) renewing its alliance with the BJP for now. With the JD(S) faring poorly in recent elections, Kumaraswamy plans to overhaul it from the grassroots level. In an interview with TNM before the party workers meet in Bengaluru on Thursday, the JD(S) leader said his focus is rebuilding the party on the foundation of cadre and youth support.
Even though Kumaraswamy ruled out any change of guard at the state level, Congress MLC CM Ibrahim meeting JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda at his residence on Thursday has triggered speculations of his joining the party. Ibrahim is reportedly unhappy with the Congress for not giving him any post in the party. If he joins the JD(S), he is likely to be appointed the state unit president, a post which he headed in 1994.
Here are some excerpts from the interview:
Is the JD(S) leadership confused over taking a firm stand on whether to ally or merge with the BJP?
There is no confusion over the issue as the question of an alliance or a merger with the BJP does not arise at all. The confusion was created by the media. Looking at the way in which the BJP is conducting itself and taking a stand on issues, if the JD(S) decides to ally or merge, my party will sink. The JD(S) support to the BJP is very clear – it will be issue based. It’s true that a section of the BJP leaders who are unhappy with Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa approached me with the merger proposal as they did not have any alternate leader to replace Yediyurappa. I turned down the proposal at the outset. Talks of a merger or alliance are only to tarnish the JD(S) image.
If allying with the BJP will sink the JD(S), how do you justify your statement that the goodwill you’d earned during the JD(S)-BJP coalition government in 2006-2007 was lost by tying up with the Congress in 2018?
Yes, my political image took a beating when the JD(S) agreed to form the government with the Congress in 2018. The Congress agreed to give unconditional support to my becoming the chief minister. But from the day the cabinet was constituted, they wanted everything done according to their demands. They insisted on getting particular portfolios, and when it came to transfer of bureaucrats, which is the prerogative of the CM, the Congress interfered in the department of personnel and administrative reforms. Statements by former CM Siddaramaiah that the JD(S) was the ‘B’ team of the BJP and asking his party workers to hold on till the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 dented my image. I agreed to join hands with the Congress only to respect the feelings of HD Deve Gowda.
What are your plans to revive the party, with the workers’ morale down and talks about some JD(S) MLAs planning to join the Congress or BJP?
I’m preparing for the Assembly elections in 2023 which the JD(S) will contest independently in all 224 constituencies. The groundwork for this will start after Sankranthi. Since 2008, many JD(S) legislators have left the party for many reasons, including not getting a ticket. In every election, the JD(S) has managed to retain its vote share of 19% to 20% and losing some 15 seats by a margin of 400 votes. I will be building a booth level cadre and also fine-tuning programmes for farmers. My loan waiver programme for farmers did not get publicity because of Siddaramaiah.
Building a cadre-based party from the booth level, which the BJP had started, seems to be the new fad with the Congress and JD(S)?
It’s not possible to function in politics without a cadre-based party. My priority will be to give more representation to youth and also tickets to them in the Assembly polls. The JD(S) office-bearers committee will be dissolved and restructured. I plan to go back to the system of having just four general secretaries in charge of the four revenue divisions in Karnataka. This was the system during the old Janata Party and Congress (O) days. Presently, the party has 25 general secretaries, some who are just visiting card carrying members and the president may not know them.
With representation to youth being your priority, will Nikhil Kumaraswamy be getting a bigger role in the party? You had plans to engage political strategist Prashant Kishor to overhaul the party.
Yes, Nikhil and Prajwal Revanna (former Minister HD Revanna’s son) will be taking on more responsibilities. They will be playing a major role in rebuilding the party. I only had some preliminary discussions with Kishor on the JD(S) concept to revive it.
There is speculation that Deve Gowda may pass on the national leadership mantle to you?
There is no such proposal. The parental body will continue and there will be no change of guard either at the national or the state level. These speculations cropped due to Deve Gowda’s health issues.
Naheed Ataulla is a journalist who has covered Karnataka politics for over two decades, and is a former Political Editor of The Times of India. Views expressed are the author’s own.