Bangalore: Janata Dal (Secular) on Tuesday
declared that its state unit President HD Kumaraswamy would
be its chief ministerial candidate in the event of the party
coming to power in next year`s Assembly elections.
"There is no vacancy for the post of Chief Minister in
JD(S). Kumaraswamy is the party nominee for the post. It is a
unanimous decision of the party and not by Deve Gowda," State
unit Working President PGR Sindhya declared at a press
conference here, apparently hitting back at Congress leader
Siddaramaiah, who had ridiculed the affairs of JD(S).
Siddaramaiah, an estwhile leader of JD(S), last week had
challenged JD(S) supreme H D Deve Gowda to declare senior
leaders like Sindhya as chief ministerial candidates.
He had also stated that Deve Gowda was working hard to
make his son Kumaraswamy the Chief Minister.
"Kumaraswamy is the most popular leader irrespective of
the region or caste. Kumaraswamy has the support of people,"
Sindhya said and also declared in the same breath, "I am not a
chief ministerial post aspirant".
Sindhya rejected a claim by the Congress leader that he
was one of those responsible in making Deve Gowda the Chief
Minister of the state and also the Prime Minister.
"Deve Gowda and a few other leaders made their best
efforts to make Siddaramaiah the Chief Minister in 2004 when
JD(S) joined hands with Congress to form the coalition
government in the state, but Congress leadership rejected the
proposal," he said.
Kumaraswamy, who joined Sindhya in the press conference
later, announced that the Yuva Janata Dal, led by Madhu
Bangarappa, will organise a `Yuvachenta` rally from tomorrow
for three days in the north Karnataka districts of Bidar,
Gubarga, Raichur, Koppal and Bellary.
PTI
