'Disgruntled' JD(S) MLCs hold meeting

Amid speculations that several JD(S) leaders are on the verge of quitting the party, as many as 12 MLCs met in the city to discuss their future course of action.

Senior leader and MLC Basavaraj Horatti has, on several occasions, expressed dissatisfaction about the way he was treated in the coalition government when H D Kumaraswamy was the chief minister. The JD(S) leaders have tried to assuage his grouse, while claiming that they had suggested Horatti’s name for the Council chairperson’s post, but the Congress had brushed aside their request.

Wednesday’s meeting was organised to discuss the problems that MlCs had against the party’s leadership. Speaking to DH, one of the MLCs who was part of the meeting said, “We all met to share our complaints. The party neglected us when it was in power. They gave more focus to the MLAs, while sidelining us. Injustice has been done to Horatti also.”

Speaking to DH, JD(S) MLC T A Sharavana sought to clarify that none of them was revolting against the party.

“None of us is quitting the party. We organised the meeting officially. We just wanted to communicate our problems. There is no reason to infer anything else from this meeting. It is true that there is some dissatisfaction. We want to bring this to the notice of the leaders,” he said. The JD(S) has 16 MLCs in the Legislative Council as on date.

The MLCs will submit a representation to party leadership based on the meeting. Further, while the party leadership had proposed a junket to Malaysia to the MLAs and MLCs, the MLCs have unanimously decided not to go for the junket. According to sources, the decision was taken in the light of floods across the state.

“We will be sending a wrong message to the public if we go on a trip at this moment. We have decided against it,” a party leader said.

Speaking to DH, JD(S) MLC Puttanna said he was disappointed that the party had chosen another candidate for the upcoming poll to the Council from the teachers’ constituency and hence, he had decided to quit.

“They have chosen A P Ranganath as their candidate over me. I have decided to quit the party.”

He said he was yet to communicate his decision to the party leaders. He said he had the potential to win even as an independent candidate and that he did not need the support of any political party.