We are the real Janata Dal (S), claims Kerala unit of party

JD(S) Kerala unit claims H D Deve Gowda lost national president post by joining BJP; mulls options to stake claim to being "real JD(S"; UDF criticizes dual positions; unit to remain anti-BJP, non-Congress force.

The Kerala leadership of the Janata Dal (S) [JD(S)] on October 27, 2023 claimed that its party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda has automatically lost his position as the national president by deciding to join hands with the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).

Stating that they were “the real JD(S)“ following the decision by Mr. Gowda and his son H.D. Kumaraswamy to partner with the BJP, Mathew T. Thomas, MLA, and Kerala president of the party, said there was no lack of clarity on their position.

“We are not under any pressure from the Left Democratic Front [LDF] to declare our position as the executive committee meet on October 7 had already passed a resolution making it clear that the State [Kerala] unit of the party will continue to be an ally of the Left front,” he said.

An executive committee meet of the JD(S) held in Kochi has resolved to take forward the efforts to unify other State units that had opposed Mr. Gowda’s decision to partner with the BJP. The party’s Kerala leadership is also mulling options as to whether those opposing the party supremo can stake a claim to being the “real JD(S).”

Mr. Thomas said the Kerala unit will continue to stick to the position adopted at the national plenary that the JD(S) will remain “an anti-BJP and non-Congress force.”

The United Democratic Front (UDF) had criticised the dual positions adopted by the national and State leadership of the JD(S), especially after Mr. Gowda had stated that his alliance with the BJP had the “tacit approval” of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.