JD(S) padayatra to rebuild, strengthen party

After receiving a drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, the H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S) has drawn up an action plan for rebuilding and strengthening its grassroots network in the state.

The regional party has planned to take out a padayatra from Bidar district in north Karnataka to Bengaluru in August this year. Former legislator and party campaign committee head Y S V Datta will spearhead the padayatra, aimed at spreading awareness about the contribution of JD(S) for the development of the state.

Besides, the party will be holding a convention in all 30 districts in the coming days. To begin with, a convention of party workers who contested the recently held Urban Local Body (ULB) polls will be held on the outskirts of Bengaluru in the first week of next month. The JD(S) recently felicitated all those who won the ULB polls in Bengaluru.

Gowda, who recently held a closed-door meeting of senior party leaders, has assigned specific responsibility to the frontline leaders for strengthening the party. JD(S) spokesperson Ramesh Babu has been asked to aggressively reach out to people through various social media platforms, sources in the JD(S) said.

"The party might have lost badly in the Lok Sabha polls. But we should not lose heart. It’s time to inspire confidence among the workers and strengthen the organisation. The party is in power along with the Congress. We should make best use of this opportunity to rebuild the party and should be prepared for any eventuality,” Gowda is learnt to have said in the meeting.

Though Gowda indicated that he will soon bring in certain changes in party organisational structure, he did not divulge details in this regard. Nikhil, son of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, has already said he was willing to take up the responsibility of leading the youth wing. Besides, A H Vishwanath has resigned as the state unit president.

Sources said Gowda is considering names of Basavaraj Horatti, Madhu Bangarappa, H C Neeravari, Bandeppa Kashampur and Datta as the replacement for Vishwanath. However, efforts are still being made to convince Vishwanath to withdraw the resignation, the sources added.