The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Prakash faction mocks at deadline

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Saturday, Dec 01, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Prakash faction mocks at deadline

S. Rajendran

Is this a drama? They are free to take any action, says a rebel

Party ledership unlikely to act now
Prakash and his group keep their options open

BANGALORE: The 24-hour deadline set by the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to the M.P.Prakash faction of the Janata Dal (Secular) to return to the mainstream of the party has lapsed with the latter choosing to cock a snook at the leadership.

Mr. Kumaraswamy had issued the deadline at the executive committee meeting of the party on Thursday.

Sources in the party told The Hindu that the only course now open to the party leadership was to either take disciplinary action against Mr. Prakash and his 20-member group or ignore them.

Disciplinary action against former legislators is meaningless and the party can at best suspend them and then expel them.

Therefore, the Janata Dal (Secular) leadership is unlikely to take any action since it could vitiate the atmosphere and develop into another crisis for the party.

A leader of the Prakash faction told The Hindu that there was no question of him returning to the mainstream of the Janata Dal (S). On the 24-hour deadline, he asked: “Is this a drama? If they want to take any action, they are free to do so.

As announced earlier, Mr. Prakash has decided against contesting the next Assembly elections”.

He said another meeting of likeminded former legislators and leaders would be held next week and thereafter would be a major public meeting to be held by the end of December in Hubli. “All these should not be construed as anti-party activities. We are all only unhappy with some major decisions taken in the past two months.

This is a ‘save party’ activity and not an attempt to split the party. By our action, I am confident that those in the mainstream of the Janata Dal (S) will now have more respect.”

As such the party leadership is in constant touch with them obviously to prevent them from deserting the party.

No new party

Asked about what the faction’s options were, he said they had several choices.

“We can join the Janata Dal (United), the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party or even the Congress.

However, there is no question of forming yet another new political party. There are enough political parties in the State and people will not be ready to accept another new party. There is internal democracy in our group and we will take a considered decision,” he said.

While joining any political outfit, the Prakash faction has to extract an assurance on the ticket for the elections to the Legislative Assembly for all the former legislators and others forming part of the group.

Meanwhile, it is stated that the Congress has extended an invitation to Mr. Prakash to join that party.

Mr. Prakash was not available to confirm the invitation.

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