The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : 65 JD (S) legislators leave for Pune resort

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Saturday, Jan 06, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

65 JD (S) legislators leave for Pune resort

Special Correspondent

INTROSPECTION: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy flashes the victory sign before leaving for Pune, in Bangalore on Friday and (at right) his party legislators. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: A group of 65 legislators of the Janata Dal (Secular), led by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, on Friday left for a resort near Pune on what has been described as an attempt at sorting out the problems within the legislature wing of the party.

The party legislators from across the State arrived at the Chief Minister's residence "Anugraha" early in the day and after a breakfast hosted by the Chief Minister left for Pune by a special flight. The departure was delayed by over an hour owing to "Rahukalam".

Among those who have stayed back are Home Minister and Janata Dal (S) State unit president M.P. Prakash, Minister for Public Works and Energy H.D. Revanna, former Minister D. Manjunath, and party spokesman and MLC Y.S.V. Datta. Interestingly, while Zameer Ahmed Khan, who recently quit the Ministry, was expected to directly join the group at Pune, the other dissident legislator and Sandur MLA Santosh Lad sat next to the Chief Minister on the flight to Pune.

The former Ministers, Merajuddin Patel and Mahadev Prasad, who were not part of the group that struck an alliance with the BJP in January last, were also among the legislators who left for Pune.

The three legislators of the Janata Dal (United), H. Anjaneya, Nagamani Nage Gowda and Bheemappa Sarikar, who recently pledged their support to the Janata Dal (S), also joined the group with three other associate members of the party. In all, 55 MLAs and 10 MLCs boarded the flight. Prior to the departure, the Chief Minister told presspersons that the trip had been arranged to enable the legislators and the Ministers to introspect and make a forthright commitment to strengthen the party. "I will review the performance of the Ministers and have a one-to- one discussion with the legislators," he said. On the first day of the tour, the Chief Minister would address a combined meeting of the Ministers and the legislators. On the second day, he would have a one-to-one meeting with the Ministers and follow it up with a meeting of the legislators. On the third and last day of the trip, the Chief Minister is expected to speak out his mind to the members of the legislature party.

With reference to the remarks made by some Opposition leaders on the trip, Mr. Kumaraswamy said it has been organised in the interests of the State apart from those of the party. The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have organised much larger meetings. Recently, the BJP had one such meeting in Lucknow.

He said it was not a "jolly trip". Attempts to destabilise "my Government have been going on right from day one and there is no need to foil them. I have never devoted my energies to save my Government but have concentrated on development," he said.

In the past, the Janata Dal (S) legislators travelled by luxury coaches owned by Mr. Zameer Ahmed Khan. Today, it was two Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation coaches that took the legislators to the airport.

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