Rebel activities a challenge for JD(S), Cong in Kodagu

Rebel activities in the JD(S) and the Congress in the district are increasing day-by-day.

Recent developments in the parties are not in favour of the parties for the upcoming Parliamentary elections.

Lack of coordination between the leaders in the district units of both JD(S) and Congress has become a new challenge for the top leaders.

Former minister B A Jeevijaya and his supporters have decided to boycott the installation programme of K M B Ganesh who will be sworn in as the JD(S) district committee president on Thursday. Attempts made by the party high-command to pacify the rebel leaders have been futile.

JD(S)-Congress Coalition Coordination Committee Chairman Siddaramaiah has assured of speaking to the disgruntled leaders in Somwarpet, as an effort to maintain unity till elections. However, the rebel faction of the JD(S) has been openly expressing themselves against the appointment of K M B Ganesh as district JD(S) president.

Conducting a press conference two days ago, K M B Ganesh had stated that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, District In-charge Minister Sa Ra Mahesh, ministers C S Puttaraju and G T Devegowda will visit the district for the election campaign. But, no official programme has been scheduled in this regard so far.

Many speculate that this was a trick played by Ganesh to cool down the dissent within the party temporarily. Jeevijaya’s faction has decided to bring the very incident to the notice of the party high command.

“The party workers are also angry as District In-charge Minister Sa Ra Mahesh from JD(S) has not thought in the direction of clearing the misconceptions among leaders. The minister is busy in Mandya-Mysuru politics and is least bothered about Kodagu,” the leaders complained.

There is a similar situation brewing in the Congress. Rebel activities in Congress in Southern Kodagu have cooled down. However, District Congress Committee President Shivu Madappa was made to step down and K K Manjunath was appointed to the place. Following the development, Shivu Madappa and his supporters have distanced themselves from campaigning.

MLC Veena Acchaiah, who is known to be a supporter of Shivu Madappa, has not accompanied the new district Congress president K K Manjunath in any of his press conferences.

It is learnt that Shivu Madappa is assured by the party’s senior leaders of appointing him to the state committee in the coming days.

Addressing the media in Somwarpet on Wednesday, district JD(S) general secretary S M D’Silva said that supporters of B A Jeevijaya and himself will not take part in the newly elected JD(S) district president K M B Ganesh’s installation programme.

“A request has been made to the top leaders to change the leadership in the district committee of JD(S),” he added.

He meanwhile lamented that the workers who have worked honestly for the party are not valued.

“Former minister B A Jeevijaya can earn 55,000 votes on his own, in the constituency. But, K M B Ganesh, who is a newcomer, could hardly manage to get 5,000 votes. Jeevijaya’s name was recommended by his supporters for the post of the district JD(S) president. But this recommendation too has not been considered. Moreover, K M B Ganesh is known to have carried out anti-party activities during the last Assembly elections. If a suitable decision is not made by the party high-command within the next four days, we will abide by the decision of B A Jeevijaya,” he said.