The Hindu : Karnataka News : Deve Gowda authorised to expel four dissident leaders

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 22, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Deve Gowda authorised to expel four dissident leaders

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, MARCH 21. The State unit of the Janata Dal (Secular) has decided to work out a strategy to strengthen the party and, towards this end, will take firm action against all leaders who work against the interests of the party.

The JD(S) is now in a buoyant mood with differences between the two top leaders — the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and the Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, — reportedly having been ironed out. Both of them were present at the party headquarters here today. A meeting of the Janata Dal legislature party will be held on Tuesday, presided over by Mr. Siddaramaiah.

Dinner meeting

Prior to the meeting of office-bearers and district unit presidents of the party held here today, a dinner meeting of the top leaders was held at the residence of Mr. Deve Gowda last night, and it was here that the former Prime Minister and Mr. Siddaramaiah met after a gap of several months. Among others who attended the meeting were the Ministers H.C. Mahadevappa, P.G.R. Sindhia, M.P. Prakash and D. Manjunath, the State President of the JD(S), N. Thippanna, and the former Union Minister C.M. Ibrahim.

Mr. Thippanna and the JD(S) Secretary-General, Mahima Patel, briefing presspersons after the today's office-bearers' meeting, said the meeting authorised Mr. Deve Gowda to expel the four senior leaders Vaijnath Patil, A. Laxmisagar, P. Kodandaramaiah and A.K. Subbaiah to stem the dissidence in the party. The four of them had raised a banner of revolt against Mr. Deve Gowda resulting in their suspension.

It was said that the explanation offered by them was rejected and the office-bearers asked Mr. Deve Gowda to remove them from the membership of the party.

The office-bearers also passed a resolution authorising Mr. Deve Gowda and Mr. Siddaramaiah to take up the appointment of chairmen of boards and corporations with the Congress. The JD(S) activists are upset over the delay in the appointments and said the two parties should equally share the posts as per the understanding between the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, and Mr. Deve Gowda. Although no deadline was set for the appointments, the office-bearers demanded that it should be done at the earliest.

Interest waiver

In another resolution, a request was made to Mr. Siddaramaiah to extend until December the waiver of interest on cooperative loans for those clearing the principal amount by that date. In the budget, the Deputy Chief Minister had announced that the waiver would be applicable if the principal amount was cleared by June 1. Extending the deadline would suit farmers since the monsoon crops are harvested in September and October and they would have the resources to take advantage of the interest waiver scheme.

The meeting appreciated the budget presented by Mr. Siddaramaiah and said all the promises made by the JD(S) in its election manifesto have been fulfilled. It called upon the Government to provide reservation in employment for the poor and underprivileged irrespective of whether they were from rural or urban areas.

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