Zameer: We defied HD Kumaraswamy, not Gowda or JD(S)

Ever since JD(S) patriarch Mr H.D. Deve Gowda took out the ‘Daridra Narayana Rally’ in Chamarajpet, which helped Mr B.Z. Zameer Ahamed Khan become the local MLA, much water has flowed down the Cauvery. In the last ten years, it has been a ‘love-hate’ relationship between Mr Zameer and the Gowda family.

Things have now reached a flash point with Mr Zameer and his fellow MLAs suspended from the party for cross-voting in Saturday’s Rajya Sabha polls. But the old faithful still refuses to point fingers at the party or Mr Gowda.

As a matter of fact, he is ready to work with the JD(S) headed by Mr Gowda and would consider his son Mr Kumaraswamy as his leader only if the latter mends his ways. It’s quite clear that he is trying to keep the lines open for a reapproachment with Gowda senior.

And the future? Mr Zameer dismisses reports that he is planning to join the  Congress and says he would be an ‘azad panchi’ if the JD(S) expels him. In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, he shared his thoughts on what led to this sorry situation. Excerpts from the interview:

After doing everything possible for the growth of JD(S), you are now rocking the boat?
Even today, I am a JD(S) man and I am not rocking the boat. Everyone knows who is responsible for this development.  It is Mr Kumaraswamy. I have never defied either Mr Deve Gowda or the party.

I have told the media several times that today’s Kumaraswamy and What he was before 2004 are not the same. He changed after becoming Chief Minister.  I had told the media one month ago that I would be voting for the Congress and not JD-S (in the Rajya Sabha poll) .

You should be asking Mr Kumaraswamy the reason behind my decision. It was not just me... but five of us (which later became eight MLAs). I don't know why, Mr Kumaraswamy wanted to finish us politically.

He cleared the candidate without informing party members. Initially our conscience did not permit us to do this. We sent a message through MLC Mr C.R. Manohar that we would vote for Congress.

But, he took us for granted. After a fortnight, Mandya MP Mr C.S. Puttaraju took us for a dinner meeting with Mr Kumaraswamy to sort out issues. However, during the meeting, Mr Kumaraswamy did not utter a word. We were ready to go back on the decision to back Congress. But, in the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, he did not bring up the Rajya Sabha issue at all.

We sensed that he was prepared to go ahead without us. A week later, he called Mr  H.C. Balakrishna and said that he had finalised the Muslim candidate which was intended to finish me politically.

Later, while negotiating with independent MLAs seeking their support for the JD(S) candidate, he told them that he needed only five votes and was getting the support of 12 independents to teach us a lesson.

We are also  human beings. If we don't get angry over such incidents which have been recurring at regular intervals, we will become gods. After the independents ditched him, he came to talk to us.

At the Gold Finch Hotel meeting, I told him everything in his face, including what he had told the Independents. I told him that I could not come back, as we had gone too far. I also told Mr Kumaraswamy that he could call us after the elections and we could build the party again.

You worked against the party candidate in the Hebbal bypoll, now you have sabotaged their prospects in the Rajya Sabha and Council polls too?
Hebbal was a different issue. There was no need to field a Muslim candidate against a Muslim. In both Hebbal and Raichur, we lost our deposit. What message are they giving to our society? It affected our ZP and TP election prospects also.

Were you scared that the party might cultivate another minority leader to diminish your prospects?
What minority leader? Just look at the candidates they selected. In Hebbal and Raichur, both could not poll more than 3,500 votes. If they wanted to give the Rajya Sabha ticket to a minority candidate, such candidates were there in our party itself. They could have given it to Mr Danish Ali or Mr Zafrulla Khan.

If they wanted to promote a poor Muslim, there was Mr Shakeel Nawaz. All of them have worked for the party for a long time. Who is this Mr Farookh? His uncle, Mr Mohiyuddin was in the Janata Parivar, but Mr Farookh is a Congressman.

If they wanted to give the ticket to a Congressman itself, there was Mr C.M. Ibrahim, who would have been an asset to our party. Mr Farookh runs educational institutions... What is his contribution to our community? With such candidates, what parallel leadership can they build against me?

What is the deal with the CM?
What deal with CM? I have seen reports on our leaders blaming Mr Siddaramaiah for trying to break our party using our MLAs. It is false. I was the person who took the proposal for a third Congress candidate to the CM.

Initialy, Mr Siddaramaiah was irked and said that it would be a misadventure. He also warned us that we would lose our membership. I tried convincing him 10 times, but he was not ready for the gamble. I then spoke to Mr Digvijay Singh and after he cleared the proposal, the CM agreed to it. He has no role.

No politician is stupid to engage in philanthropy unless it benefits him.
I am not doing charity work for political benefit.. I believe in god and I am doing it for that. In Urdu, they call it ‘Akhirat' ... for posterity. I tell even the people I help that I will be deriving benefit from this work with god.

Another rebel MLA, Mr H.C. Balakrishna told TV channels that he was going against the party because you told him to. It seems he took money from you in the last poll and he had to return the favour.
I don't think he said that. See, we are like a family in JD(S). During elections, we did not get funds from the party. He had financial constraints and took it from me. Such give and take is common... What he said was that I had taken good care of him and the party had done nothing but issue the B-form.

Will you contest the 2018 Assembly polls on a  Congress ticket?
I have never thought of going to the Congress. Since there was so much confusion in the party, we had to take such an extreme decision. I believe my fate has been written and I have left it to that. It hurts me as my ties with Mr Deve Gowda' are older than my relationship with Mr Kumaraswamy.

Our conscience did not permit us to vote for Congress. But our self respect was repeatedly challenged by Mr Kumaraswamy. Mr Gowda could have and should have intervened and handled the situation. We don't know why he did not do that.

I keep saying that Janata Dal (Secular) is a training ground, which breeds leaders, who migrate to other parties. I never understood why. Now, I have the answer. The party belong to Mr Deve Gowda family. If they remove us, we may feel bad. But, we have no choice.

The Congress too is not in good shape, won’t you spoil your prospects by joining hands with the party?
Many people think I will join Congress.  I am close to Mr Digvijay Singh for a long time. Even last week, I spoke to Mr Rahul Gandhi for 40 minutes. But, we are like a family in JD(S). The Congress culture does not suit us. We can be good swimmers in ponds and lakes but the Congress is an ocean, I will be lost in that.

I am pragmatic about my approach. If they remove me from the party, I will contest as an independent and prove that I have grown since my first election in Chamarajpet. Even today, if Mr Gowda wants me back and if Mr Kumaraswamy is ready to mend his ways, I am ready to work with them.