Bengaluru: Rebel JD(S) MLAs held a press meet at private hotel near Maurya Circle in Bengaluru here on Monday and demanded answers from party supremo H D Devegowda.
The JD(S) suspended 8 MLAs for their anti-party activities on Sunday, a day after JD(S) MLAs supported Congress candidate in the RS polls.
Rebel leader, Cheluvarayaswamy said, “Devegowda has taken the tough decision quickly. Devegowda asked Zameer Ahmed to hold talks with Digvijay Singh and Siddaramaiah. We had brought K C Ramamurthy to contest election from JD(S) party.”
“We voted against the party over HDK’s behaviour. We took this decision after all the options were exhausted. We were also dropped from the JD(S) core committee. We were close to finalising ticket for Ramamurthy. We were not informed of Farooq’s candidature. The JD(S) took unilateral decision and elected Farooq. Balu, Zameer and I were told by Devegowda that we need to stregthen the party,” he said.
“HD Devegowda took initiative to strike an alliance with the Congress in the BBMP council. Devegowda had also acted against the party during Ramakrishna Hegde’s tenure. Why are regional parties doing well everywhere except Karnataka. The party took unilateral decision even during support to Congress in BBMP,” said Cheluvarayaswamy questioning as to why no action was taken against HDK when he forged an alliance with the BJP. “The Congress tried to poach me and other JD(S) MLAs but we stayed with the JD(S). We request our supporters not to talk against Devegowda and Kumaraswamy. The Congress had invited me to join the party in 1999. We respect Devegowda and will obey his orders. Revanna was given all the important portfolios in JD(S)-BJP coalition government. We were not suspended when we did not follow party whip in 2006 to make HDK CM,” he said.
Meanwhile, Devegowda has called the rebel leaders as ignorant and said, “These rebel leaders do not know the facts. How can they make such statements. I helped them enter and grow in the state’s political arena. These leaders have to be reminded of the past. Have they contributed a single rupee to the party.”
