JOIN US Even before the JD(S) leaders can sit together to sort out their differences, fissures have surfaced in the party.
On Tuesday, speaking to a TV channel, Zameer said that he never received any invite from legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy. Zameer said: “I was never invited to the party meeting. I will anyway be unable to go to the meeting as a full-day tour of my constituency has been scheduled on Wednesday.”
Kumaraswamy, when questioned over whether Zameer will come to the meeting, suggested that the party had given up ‘counting’ the Chamarajpet MLA among its ranks.
“We do not know what he will do. I am not sure whether he will come or not. For all practical purposes, we have given up on him,” said Kumaraswamy.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reportedly spoke to Zameer and Cheluvarayaswamy at a private meeting prior to the by-elections last month. It was rumoured that Zameer along with Cheluvarayaswamy, Puttanna, H C Balakrishna and Y S V Datta were likely to move away from JD(S).
While Zameer may not turn up, others likely to quit the party have said that they will attend the party meeting and convey their views to the leadership.
Cheluvarayaswamy and Balakrishna have both stated that they will attend Wednesday’s meeting.
“There was a breakdown in the leadership, and we expect it to come back on track. This cannot be termed dissidence,” said Balakrishna.
On Tuesday, Datta, addressing the media, dismissed rumours of leaders quitting JD(S).
“Neither me nor any other party leader is quitting JD(S). The party leadership has invited us to speak at a forum and I gladly welcome it. We will discuss all measures to strengthen the party, before the Panchayat elections. I am certain that the party will come up with a concrete resolution at the meeting,” he said.
‘Sorting differences’
The party is expecting all the legislators to come to the meeting, barring a few who may be held up with constituency work. A senior JD(S) leader stated that the primary agenda of Wednesday’s meeting is to sort out the differences in the party.