Rebel JD(S) MLC Marithibbe Gowda thanks voters for supporting Congress candidate

He says he is ready to face disciplinary action

JD(S) MLC Marithibbe Gowda, who has rebelled against the party leadership, thanked the voters of South Graduates constituency for electing Congress candidate Madhu Made Gowda to the Legislative Council.

Mr. Gowda, who had sought the JD(S) ticket for long-time party worker Keelara Jayaram, had openly campaigned in favour of the Congress candidate after his party fielded H.K. Ramu, former president of Karnataka State Employees’ Association.

Addressing a press conference in Mysuru on Thursday, Mr. Gowda said he was ready to face disciplinary action from the JD(S) leadership for openly supporting the Congress candidate. He also made it clear once again that he will not contest the next elections as the JD(S) candidate.

Claiming that Mr. Ramu’s loss was also the loss of the party leadership, Mr. Gowda said it was time for the party to introspect. When outgoing MLC K.T. Srikante Gowda wished to opt out of the race, the party should have fielded Mr. Jayaram, who had served the party for three decades, he said.

Mr. Gowda attributed the BJP candidate M.V. Ravishankar’s loss to the ‘failure’ of the State Government. The BJP Government in the State had not only failed to address the issue of unemployment, but also created confusion in the minds of the people over the revision of textbooks, he said.

The graduates of the constituency, spread across Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajanagar, were disappointed with the State Government over the alleged insult to B.R. Ambedkar, social reformer Basavanna and poet laureate Kuvempu, he claimed.

Mr. Gowda, who was accompanied by Mr. Jayaram at the press conference, said the JD(S) had ‘wronged’ Mr. Jayaram, who had worked for the party for long years. The party preferred Mr. Ramu, who was not familiar to the voters. He claimed that the party workers were also hurt over the decision to overlook Mr. Jayaram.