Bengaluru: The Janata Dal (Secular) could be at its worst crossroads as yet with over 20 of its legislators, who are allegedly disgruntled with the functioning of the party, threatening to leave it and possibly engineer a split.
Fortunately for the JD(S), it has got a breather, as a group of legislators, who were supposed to meet here on Tuesday to discuss their future, decided to put things on hold after party supremo, H D Deve Gowda reportedly assured them that he would look into their concerns.
While Mr Deve Gowda has sought time to set his house in order, former Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy has offered to part with the post of state party president to reassure the legislators, who have been feeling increasingly sidelined in party affairs, that they can expect a better deal in future, say sources.
The Gowda family is even considering tying up with the BJP to make sure the party legislators have positions in government, according to party insiders. But the JD(S) strategy to combat this latest threat could take shape only after the assembly by-polls are held on December 5, they add.
The unhappy legislators have reportedly been restless for a while and felt sidelined even when Mr Kumaraswamy was Chief Minister as he operated from a five star hotel and avoided meeting them to clear work related to their constituencies. And after the Lok Sabha elections, they seem to have become completely demoralised, say sources.
"These MLAs believe the father-and-son duo will perpetuate their own interests in the guise of building the party and they will be left out in the cold as usual," party insiders explained.
Desertions are not new to the Janata Dal (Secular), which has weathered many such storms in the past. But this time the scale of the rebellion is far more serious, putting its leaders on notice and leaving them scrambling for a solution.
