Bangalore: Krishnappa elected JDS state party chief

 

Bangalore, Sep 11, 2013 (PTI): Former minister A Krishnappa was today unanimously elected as the state JD(S) President, who succeeded H D Kumaraswamy after the latter resigned over the party’s loss of Mandya and Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha seats to Congress in the recent by-polls.

 

He was elected at the JDS meeting here, chaired by party President and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.

 

Speaking to reporters later, Gowda said the decision was subject to ratification by the party’s national executive here in the last week of October.

 

"As per party constitution, the national party president has powers to dissolve any elected body in the party and elect new office bearers. This has to be ratified by the national executive," he said.

 

Gowda sought to dispel the ’propaganda’ that JDS is a father-son party run by him and his son Kumaraswamy, wondering in which state there is no such party. "Besides, we wanted to send across a message that ours is not such a party and JD(S) does not belong to one community."

 

He said the outfit would reconstitute the Parliamentary Board and Political Affairs Committee in three to four days.

 

Krishnappa thanked both Gowda and Kumaraswamy for reposing faith in him and said his first priority would be to strengthen the party in all districts and prepare it for the coming elections.

 

"I will ensure my work will not dishonour the party or the party leaders. We will present the failure of Congress in both national and state level before the people," Krishnappa said.

 

"By making Siddaramaiah Chief Minister, Congress feels it has done a lot for the backward class people. However,both Gowda and Kumaraswamy, when they were in power, have given more programs to the backward class people Congress gave," he said.