Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 4: Through a letter addressed to national president of the JD(S), H D Deve Gowda, the party's state president, Adagur H Vishwanath, has resigned from his position.

While thanking Gowda for helping him when he was faced with the compulsion to desert the Congress, allotting him party ticket from Hunsur constituency and helping him to become MLA. He appreciated Kumaraswamy for running the coalition government since a year and implementing loan waiver scheme. He expressed dissatisfaction at the failure of most of the state departments to achieve significantly. He said he admires Kumaraswamy for taking the onus of running this complex government in spite of his ill health. However, he expressed displeasure at the fact that the party and the government have not been able to work together harmoniously.

In the letter, Vishwanath has blamed Congress of depriving Deve Gowda ticket from Mysuru and instead asking him to contest from Tumakuru constituency where a Congressman was the sitting MP. He felt that this was a ploy to insult Deve Gowda. He blamed irresponsible outbursts of senior JD(S) leaders for Nikhil Kumaraswamy's defeat at Mandya. He also rued the fact that he was not made a member of the coalition government's coordination committee in spite of being state JD(S) president, and failure to agree on common minimum programme.

Vishwanath said he wants to concentrate on serving the people of Hunsur constituency after resigning as the state president of the JD(S).

Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, who is under compulsion to handle inadequacies and misunderstandings within the coalition government, is also faced with the need to douse dissatisfaction arising within the party circles. He has convened a meeting of JD(S) MP, MLAs and members of legislative council here on Tuesday June 4, to discuss the resignation and take up other issues.

This legislature party meeting is being held for the second time after the recent Lok Sabha election. In addition to holding further introspection on the reasons for the party's defeat in Lok Sabha election, the meeting may consider the issue of ministry reorganization or expansion, reasons for the resignation of the JD(S) state president, who can be the next state president of the party etc. The meeting will take place at 6.40 pm and will continue till dinner at the private residence of Kumaraswamy at J P Nagar here.

Kumaraswamy has come out of his stay in a luxury hotel to rid of the accusation of him being not available for contact by MLAs and leaders, and not mingling with people.

After the crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha election, there had been various opinions about the future of the government. Kumaraswamy's confidence has been since boosted by the promise of Congress leaders support and backing by AICC president Rahul Gandhi. The chief minister is expected to win over the confidence of the legislators on the issues of cabinet expansion and putting off rejig by a few months.

Vishwanath is said to be angry with the behaviour of minister, Sa Ra Mahesh, at his home turf, Mysuru. He also is livid at some Congress local leaders. He was ready to leave last month, but stayed put at the request of JD(S) top leadership. He reportedly told Kumaraswamy that his decisions and suggestions were overlooked and Mahesh took single-handed decisions about choice of candidates for the local bodies’ election because of which these candidates tasted defeat.