CM Ibrahim, the president of the Janata Dal (Secular) Karnataka unit, has been ousted from his position, following his strong opposition to the BJP-JDS alliance in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, as confirmed by the party’s national president and former prime minister, HD Deve Gowda, on Thursday.
Gowda also dissolved the state working committee and appointed his son and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy as the ad-hoc president of the party’s state unit.
#WATCH | Former Karnataka CM & JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy says, "To strengthen the party, our national president today took the decision to dissolve the old unit and announced the ad-hoc committee in my leadership… Naturally, it will be communicated to him (CM Ibrahim)…My… https://t.co/Gv9RERV0qv pic.twitter.com/zGnVvQ3PyG
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2023
Mr.Gowda announced his decision at a press conference after an emergency meeting of the party’s core committee, where the decision to dissolve the state working committee was taken unanimously, dissolving the committee means that he is no longer the State Party President.
At present Mr.Ibrahim has not been expelled from the party. The emergency meeting was attended by 19 MLAs, MLCs and district presidents of the party.
“To strengthen the party, our national president today took the decision to dissolve the old unit and announced the ad-hoc committee in my leadership… Naturally, it will be communicated to him (CM Ibrahim)…My responsibility is to strengthen the party…My concentration is to develop my party, ” Kumaraswamy told news agency ANI.
Stating that Mr. Ibrahim was removed from the post in accordance with the JD(S) constitution and bylaws, Mr. Gowda said Mr. Kumaraswamy was appointed as the new ad hoc president for the smooth functioning of the party.
Pointing out that all JD (S) State units, including those in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Kerala, had endorsed the decision to ally with the BJP, he said the party was part of the government in Kerala, with one of its MLAs serving as a Minister.
Urging his partymen not to worry about the new alliance, Mr. Gowda said several Muslim leaders in the JD(S) had also expressed their support for the party’s alliance.
Ibrahim raises up the ante:
From a few days, the tensions were on the rise, and Ibrahim, a former union minister, had suggested a potential division within the party while emphasizing that his faction embodies the genuine spirit of the JD(S) as a ‘secular’ party. He stated, “Those who want to come with us can come, those who want to leave can do so. We will see how many MLAs are with which side,”
“This has demonstrated Mr. Gowda’s blind love for his son. They cannot remove me like this; I am the elected president. Two-thirds members should first write to me asking that I convene a meeting and then move a no-confidence motion against me. Mr. Gowda cannot run a one-man show,” Mr. Ibrahim said.
After the dissolution of the executive committee, Mr.Ibrahim claims that he continues to remain the party’s State President as his removal was not in accordance with the party bylaws and has said to challenge the decision before the Election Commission and also to get a stay from the court.
