Bangalore: The recent defections from the Janata Dal (Secular) to the AIPJD of the former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Ramanagaram town municipality which resulted in the election of one of the deserters as the president of the municipality has been termed as inconsequential by the Working President of the State unit of the Janata Dal (S) H.D. Kumaraswamy.

Sources in the Janata Dal (S) and the Congress, however, said that the defections were expected to step up the rivalry between the Janata Dal (S) and a section of the Congress leaders which engineered the defections.

Mr. Kumaraswamy, who represents Ramanagaram in the Assembly told The Hindu that those who defected to the AIPJD had for all practical purposes walked out of the Janata Dal (S) nearly a year ago. A section of the Congress leaders had now utilised them in their attempt to "snub me" and the party. "It is a matter of no consequence to the Janata Dal (S) and the people of Ramanagaram will give the defectors a fitting reply in the next municipal elections, he said.

Congress leaders, who reportedly "engineered the defections", said that there would be many more defections from the Janata Dal (S). President of the State unit of the Janata Dal (S) N. Thippanna said it was improper on the part of some Congress leaders to adopt unconstitutional and unethical means in their efforts to upset the Janata Dal (S).

The results of the taluk and the zilla panchayat elections wherein the Janata Dal (S) was expected to do well would "show them their place." The Janata Dal (S) was growing fast in the State and some of the political leaders were unable to digest the fact.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the term of the present members of the town municipality would come to an end in another seven months and the election of a new president and vice-president hardly carried any weight. The elections were put off until recently since a court had issued a stay order. In a recent order, the court vacated the stay and it prompted a section of the Congress leaders to push for the election of the president and the vice-president.

At the elections held on Saturday most of the Janata Dal (S) members defected to the AIPJD on the ground that they were not in favour of remaining with Mr. Kumaraswamy with whose support and encouragement they had won the elections for the municipality held in 2001. The Ramanagaram town municipality has 31 members. Twenty-two of them were elected on the Janata Dal (S) ticket, seven on the Congress ticket and one on the BJP ticket, and the other is an Independent.

Ten of the Janata Dal (S) members have since defected to the AIPJD and with the support of the Congress members, Kizar Pasha was elected president and a Congress member, Narayanappa vice-president.

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