Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jul 1: JD(S) activists expressed anguish and posed pointed questions to JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda, at having been kept away from the corridors for power even after a year since the party rose to power. They questioned the rationale behind reserving the posts of the chairpersons of corporations and boards to legislators alone and why are sincere and loyal activists of the party not being recognized.

The anger of party activists has given rise to new challenges for the party leaders to handle, at a time the very relevance of the coalition government is being questioned, and leaders of both parties are wondering whether having truck with the other party had robbed their chances in Lok Sabha election as grass root level activists of these two parties, which are traditional rivals, had failed to mingle with each other.

The meeting was held at the party office on Sunday. When the party activists wanted to know why legislators are being given preferential treatment and why grass root level party activists are being left high and dry. Deve Gowda, unable to give any convincing reply immediately, was flustered.

The activists pointed out that why, even after a year since the party rose to power, power is not being given to activists. They wanted to know whether they had not worked hard for the party's success. They wanted to know how much have the people appointed by the party to corporations and boards had worked for the party. "You have given plum posts to some people whose identities are not known to us. Why you are rewarding people who have never worked for the party?" they wanted to know.

Efforts made by Rajya Sabha member Kupendra Reddy, and legislator Gopalayya, to pacify the party activists failed to succeed. The activists accused the party leaders of forgetting them when in positions of power, and remembering about the lower level workers of the party only when in crisis.

Deve Gowda told the agitated activists that he would look into the matter of appointments to boards and corporations and to set right mistakes if any committed. He also assured to provide opportunities to party workers. As the commotion did not stop, he ended the meeting abruptly. The activists then took Kupendra Reddy to task.

Earlier in the day, Deve Gowda had said that his party will undertake Padayayatra, making it sure that it does not adversely affect chances of the coalition government. He said he will make sure that the Padayatra programme does not give rise to a feeling that it will harm the coalition government. "The notion that the programme is being held for interim poll is false. But BJP leaders can decipher it at their will," he said.

Deve Goiwda said that Kumaraswamy had gone to USA to attend a programme organized on behalf of his community by spending his own money. "Does BJP mean that we had to obtain permission from Yeddyurappa?' he wondered.

During the first phase, JD(S) has got 15 posts including chairpersons of corporations and Boards, as well as posts of political secretary to the chief minister, parliamentary secretary, etc. All these posts have been given to MLAs. Only Zafrulla Khan, Moidin Altaf and former MLA Konareddy, are the ones who have been given posts even though they are not MLAs.