I’m in JD(S) both technically and mentally; still Karnataka state president: Ibrahim

PTI, Oct 22, 2023, 6:26 PM IST

Bengaluru: Ousted Karnataka JD(S) president C M Ibrahim on Sunday asserted that he is in Janata Dal (Secular) both ”technically and mentally”, and still heads the party in the state, as his removal from the post was wrong.

Appealing JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda, and his son and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to reconsider their decision on joining hands with the BJP, he also stated that he will decide on the future course of action, including on legal fight against his removal as state president, after October 26.

Following Ibrahim’s rebellion — against the JD(S)’ decision on alliance with the BJP — that had embarrassed the party, Gowda on Thursday had dissolved the party’s Karnataka unit, essentially removing the former as the state president, and had appointed Kumaraswamy as ”ad-hoc president”.

”Deve Gowda is a senior leader. I request him once again through you (media) with folded hands to reconsider the decision on alliance with BJP. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan (party units) are against the decision to go with the BJP,” Ibrahim said.

Speaking to reporters here, he urged Gowda to stand by the ideology which the party had been following all along.

Stating that he is visiting Udaipur and will be travelling to Mumbai later this week to meet JD(S) party leaders there, Ibrahim said, ”Deve Gowda knows how he was made the Prime Minister. He knows how I built Janata Dal in 1995. It is not new to him, he knows, but what to do there is pressure from Kumaraswamy on him.”

Also, making a similar request to Kumaraswamy, he said, ”He is like a brother… Please reconsider going with BJP, accept the ideologies of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Basavanna and Rashtra Kavi — Puttappa (Kuvempu).”

”We have respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. We have nothing against them personally, but ideologically we are on a different path,” he added.

Ibrahim, defying the party leadership, had recently declared that the JD(S) would not join the BJP-led NDA, and had even gone to the extent of describing his side of the party as the ”original JD(S)”.

The JD(S) last month had decided to ally with the BJP following a meeting of its leader Kumaraswamy with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda in New Delhi.

Claiming that many JD(S) district presidents and MLAs are in contact with him, Ibrahim said, he has still not called them for a meeting, as the situation has not vitiated yet, and his intention is to not to vitiate.

”I have told them to remain wherever they are and let’s talk when the time comes…Parliament elections are still in March-April,” he said.

Stating that he is still technically and mentally in JD(S), Ibrahim said that he is still the party’s state president.

”I can’t be removed, they (Gowda and Kumaraswamy) know it. They can’t dissolve the party state unit, they know it. What they have done is wrong, but I still hope that he will rectify things, and go according to our ideology,” he said.

Pointing out that he was brought to the party, making him resign as Congress MLC, Ibrahim asked, ”After that, if Gowda and Kumaraswamy decide to go with the BJP, won’t it pain me? But still, swallowing that pain, I’m requesting them to reconsider.”

The party state unit cannot be dissolved, he said, and asked, ”Is it like breaking an egg and making an omelette?”

”It is an elected body of a party registered with the Election Commission. We have to run the party in accordance with rules and not as per one’s wish. As state president, I constituted the core committee and appointed office-bearers.”

Further noting that the party state president has the power to take decisions concerning the state in JD(S), he said, ”If the party state president goes against the party constitution, notice has to be given by two-thirds of members. A meeting has to be called and a no confidence motion has to be brought to remove him or her.”

About the legal fight, he had warned, and his next course of action, Ibrahim said wait, pointing at meetings of party units in Kerala and Patna.

”Let’s see after October 26. I will see till Vijayadashami, if they make any decision. I have trust in Deve Gowda, but Kumaraswamy has to decide. I don’t trust him.”

Asked whether he has got any phone calls from Congress, especially from his old friend and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Ibrahim said, ”I’m getting calls from everywhere, let’s see….but, neither Siddaramaiah has called me, nor I have called him.”