The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Prakash faction quits Janata Dal (Secular)

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Thursday, Dec 13, 2007
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Prakash faction quits Janata Dal (Secular)

S.Rajendran

Former Minister authorised to form panel to finalise political party the group could associate with

The core committee will decide on the next course of action
The group took the decision after an hour-long meeting

— Photo: V Sreenivasa Murthy

EXPLAINING HIS STAND: Former Minister M.P. Prakash addressing the media along with his supporters after the meeting at his residence in Bangalore on Wednesday.

BANGALORE: The Janata Dal (Secular) on Wednesday suffered a serious blow with the M.P. Prakash faction of the party, comprising several senior leaders, bidding goodbye to the party in the wake of some recent decisions taken by leadership that were unacceptable to them.

After an hour-long meeting of “likeminded leaders” held at the official residence of the former Deputy Chief Minister, the group unanimously decided to formally walk out of the party, but did not take any decision on the next course of action.

Core panel

The leaders, including nearly 15 former legislators, authorised Mr. Prakash to constitute a core committee of three members to finalise on the political party that they could associate with. Incidentally, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda has stated that all those wanting to leave the party could go.

Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, however, held discussions with Mr. Prakash a few days ago and requested him to stay with assurances that henceforth senior leaders would be consulted before the party took major decisions.

Those who left the party along with Mr. Prakash are, K.N. Rajanna, B.C. Patil, K. Balaraj, B.T. Channabasappa, B. Chidanand, Amaregouda Bayyapur, H.S. Mahadev Prasad, M.Y. Patil, H. Ekantaiah, Sharanabasappa Darshanapur, N. Suryanarayana Reddy, Santosh Lad, Ravikanth Patil, H. Anjaneya, N.S. Khed, Mariyappa, S.M. Nagaraj, Narasimha Nayak and Prafulla Madhukar.

The M.P. Prakash faction has invitations from the Janata Dal (United), the Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the BJP. The group has ruled out floating a new political party.

Sources in the Janata Dal (S) told The Hindu that several leaders who had threatened to leave the party had returned thanks to the personal interaction which Mr. Kumaraswamy had with them. They included the former Minister, N. Cheluvarayaswamy and former legislators H.C. Balakrishna, Nagamani Nage Gowda and Vijayalakshmi Bandisidde Gowda.

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