JD(S) rebels to hold rallies to 'shame' party leadership

Stung by the action initiated against them, the eight rebel MLAs who have been suspended from the JD(S) are now on a mission to unleash their angst against the party leadership.

After JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and his elder son H D Revanna publicly challenged the political abilities of the rebel MLAs during the last few days, they have now decided to hold public meetings to “shame” the party leadership.

Massive public meetings have been planned in Bengaluru, Ramanagaram, Mandya and Koppal, where the rebels are determined to demonstrate their strength.

It is also learnt that Energy minister D K Shivakumar is extending his support to organise these public meetings. Sources said that Shivakumar, an arch rival of the Gowda family, has taken it upon himself to hit out at the JD(S). It has also become a matter of prestige for him to show his strength especially in Ramanagaram constituency. While Shivakumar represents Kanakapura in Ramanagararam district, JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy is MLA of Ramanagaram.

In Bengaluru, all the three the JD(S) MLAs B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamrajpet), K Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout) and Akhanda Srinivas Murthy (Pulakeshinagar) have turned against the party. The rebels are also determined to show their strength in the Vokkaliga heartland of Mandya. Rebel MLAs N Cheluvarayaswamy (Nagamangala) and Ramesh Bandisiddegowda (Srirangapatna) are both from Mandya district. The meetings will be held once Khan returns from his pilgrimage in Mecca.

Reacting to the plans of the dissidents, Deve Gowda on Wednesday said the party was unfazed by these developments. He said that both he and Kumaraswamy would visit these constituencies later and impress upon the electorate. Asked why the rebels had not yet received their suspension notices, he maintained that he had dispatched them.