JD(S) admonishes Kerala unit, revokes suspension of 39 MLAs

The infighting in the Janata Dal (Secular) has taken a new turn with the party executive committee on Monday suspending the Kerala unit, which had 'rebelled' against former prime minister H D Deve Gowda.

In a related development, the meeting revoked the suspension of 39 legislators, including Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, who had staged a political coup to form the coalition government with the BJP after dumping the erstwhile partner Congress.

The Kerala unit, supported by party leaders Surendra Mohan and former minister P G R Sindhia, had opposed the formation of the coalition with BJP in Karnataka.

They had sought the expulsion of 39 legislators from the party. Though Gowda suspended all the 39 legislators from the party, no further action was taken.

After waiting for nearly nine months, the Kerala unit took strong objection to the delay in initiating action against the 39 legislators. In the meantime, Gowda endorsed the action of the 39 legislators on the grounds that they 'saved' the party from being 'hijacked' by the Congress.

An angry Kerala faction, last week, convened a special meeting, to 'expel' Gowda from the party president's post for compromising JD(S)'s principles and ideologies. Veerendra Kumar claimed that he represented the 'real JD (S)'.

Consequently, the Kerala unit was suspended at the executive committee meeting in New Delhi on Monday. JD(S) spokesperson Y S V Datta said 47 members of the 55 in the executive committee attended the meeting.

"It shows that the executive committee has full faith in Gowda. The Kerala unit has been penalised for rebelling against the party by taking unconstitutional decisions," he added.

The JD(S) has conveyed the executive committee's decision to revoke the suspension order, to Karnataka Legislative Assembly speaker Krishna.