The Hindu : Karnataka / Mangalore News : Membership drive comes a cropper

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 31, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mangalore

Membership drive comes a cropper

By Raviprasad Kamila

MANGALORE, JAN. 30. The membership drive launched by the President of the Janata Dal (Secular) and former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, in Dakshina Kannada recently has received a setback owing to differences among leaders in the district unit of the party.

Sources in the party told The Hindu on Sunday that the first phase of the membership drive will end by January 31. Though it was planned to enrol at least 25 members per election booth, the target is yet to be met as membership books have not reached many taluks, they added.

Many leaders at the taluk level do not know where the books released by Mr. Deve Gowda are. It is said that only a few party workers have got the books.

Sources said that as the President of the Janata Dal (S) district unit, Vasanth Bangera, is busy in organising a family function, he entrusted the task of distributing the books to a trusted party worker.

But the books have not reached the party workers owing to differences among some leaders.

The party workers brought this to the notice of Mr. Deve Gowda and the President of the party's State unit, N. Thippanna, when they visited Mangalore on Friday.

Sources said that another reason for the membership drive not picking up is that some leaders in the district unit are eyeing posts of chiefs of corporations and boards. Mr. Deve Gowda has made it clear that when the Government will reconstitute the boards and corporations, the posts should be shared by the coalition partners.

Mr. Deve Gowda, addressing party workers and presspersons here, admitted that the party does not have a strong base in the district. He said he will tour Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu, Uttara Kannada and Shimoga districts to strengthen the party.

`Touring strategy'

Sources said the "touring strategy" mainly helped Mr. Deve Gowda win 58 seats in the Assembly elections last year.

Many leaders feel that the time is ripe for the Janata Dal (S) to strengthen its base in the coastal belt. But there are not enough leaders in the district unit who can influence people and build the image of the party.

The then Janata Dal won two Assembly seats in the 1994 elections in the district. While K. Amaranath Shetty won the Moodbidri seat, Mr. Bangera won the Belthangady seat.

Since then, the Janata Dal factions — Janata Dal (S) and the Janata Dal (United) — have failed to win any seat in the coastal belt.

Observers say that since the region is dominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular) has a long way to go before it can cut ice with the people. The pro-farmer image of the Janata Dal (S) and Mr. Deve Gowda in this area, where agriculture is still the main source of livelihood for many people, may help the party if voters want to distance themselves from the BJP and the Congress.

Mr. Deve Gowda is trying his best to popularise his party ahead of the elections to the gram panchayat. If he succeeds in resolving the differences among some leaders, the party may again be able to attract voters, observers say.

But Mr. Deve Gowda, addressing a party workers' meeting recently, said differences of opinion within a party are common. They have to be settled through arbitration. He asked them not to take their infighting to the streets.

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