JD(S) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda, on Thursday, removed C.M. Ibrahim from the post of state president by dissolving the state working committee and appointed his son and former Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, as the ad-hoc president.
The dissolution of the state unit follows Ibrahim's open revolt against the party for choosing to support the NDA ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
An emergency meeting of the JD(S) legislature party and senior leaders convened by Gowda at JP Bhavan in Bengaluru, unanimously decided to remove Ibrahim from the post. However, the former prime minister, during the press meet, clarified that Ibrahim had only been removed from the post but not expelled from the party.
"The decision to join hands with the BJP was only to strengthen the party," Gowda asserted.
Earlier this week, Ibrahim held a meeting of his supporters and declared that the JD(S), under his leadership, would support the INDIA (alliance) and would oppose the party decision to support the NDA. Ibrahim, who opposed the JD(S)-BJP alliance, also claimed that JD(S) did not belong to one family and he was heading the "original JD(S)"
While the party leaders and workers were visibly upset over Ibrahim openly attacking the party and Kumaraswamy, the party leadership, mindful of the party's minority support base abstained from taking disciplinary action against him.
Responding to his shocking ouster from the party post, the former minister who quit Congress to join the JD(S) (in March 2022), alleged that Deve Gowda had once again proved that JD(S) was his family property and serves the interest of only his family and son.
"Deve Gowda did not treat me well after I quit as Congress MLC and joined the JD(S). He chose Saravana for the MLC post and did not give me the Rajya Sabha seat too. I campaigned hard for the party and his son in this assembly elections. This is the reward he gives me. He does not allow any other Vokkaliga leader to grow," said Ibrahim, who also claimed that the party did not follow the right procedure to remove him from the post.
"I will meet the party legislators to discuss the issue and also hold meetings with party units in each district. I insist I am still heading the real JD(S) that is a secular party," asserted Ibrahim.
