JOIN US JD(S) leader N Cheluvarayaswamy clarified on Wednesday that he had no plans to quit the party and that he had no differences with the father-son duo of H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy.
Interacting with reporters at a press meet, he strongly denied he had led a dissident group in the party. He also denied he had toyed with the idea of joining the Congress or the BJP. Referring to his recent controversial meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he said it was personal friendship and that it had nothing to do with politics.
A group of JD(S) legislators led by Cheluvarayaswamy had reportedly raised a banner of revolt against Gowda. They were upset with the way things were run by the party patriarch.
Worried legislators
The legislators wanted Gowda to take senior leaders into confidence before taking important political decisions. Moreover, many of the legislators were worried about their own future in the wake of the party slowly losing its sheen.
Cheluvarayaswamy, however, rubbished the reports of revolt and claimed that he never had any disagreement with Gowda, except once in 2006 when the party MLAs led by Kumaraswamy joined hands with the BJP to form a coalition government.
“I have worked sincerely for the party and stood with Gowda and Kumaraswamy through thick and thin. It is I who raised the issue of Siddaramaiah removing Gowda’s photograph in his office at the Vidhana Soudha,” he added.
Move denied
Asked about Gowda bringing his grandsons to politics, Cheluvarayaswamy denied any such move. Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil and H D Revanna’s son Prajwal have not yet stepped into active politics. Hence, their seeking any party position does not arise, he said.
He said he was not aspiring for the post of State party president and added that he and other party leaders had asked the leadership to elect a non-Vokkaliga member for the post.
Gowda and Kumaraswamy are capable of leading the party and it is not proper to write off the party from the State political map, he added.