Ex-PM Deve Gowda expels C M Ibrahim from JD(S) for ‘opposing alliance with BJP’

The decision also came ahead of a December 11 meeting of a parallel national executive called by ousted party leader Ibrahim.

“There were two main items on the agenda, the first is regarding C M Ibrahim… who was part of discussions in the party for forming an alliance with the BJP… After being part of the meetings, he has given press statements that were damaging to the party and we have decided to expel him from the party,” H D Deve Gowda said.

“Similarly, our national vice president Nanu was consulted and under his leadership, they have undertaken the misadventure of holding a meeting of the party. When the party president is alive, they have done this and that is why I call it a misadventure…” the JD(S) national president said.

The resolutions to expel Ibrahim and Nanu were presented by JD(S) Mandya district president D Ramesh and West Bengal unit head Puneeth Kumar Singh. The resolutions were unanimously accepted by the national executive.

Former Karnataka chief minister and Karnataka JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy was present at the meeting along with 24 other members of the national executive and Deve Gowda.

In October this year, Deve Gowda dissolved the Karnataka unit of the party headed by C M Ibrahim after Ibrahim opposed the decision of the JD(S) to align with the BJP for the Lok Sabha polls. Former CM H D Kumaraswamy, the son of Deve Gowda, was appointed ad hoc president.

On October 16, Ibrahim – appointed JD(S) president in April 2022 – criticised the party leadership over the alliance with the BJP.
Claiming to be the ‘original JD(S)’, Ibrahim had stated that the regional party would not go with the BJP-led NDA but would back the INDIA alliance. He had also announced forming a core committee to chart the future of the party.

The ousted JD(S) leader announced on December 8 that he would organise a national-level meeting of JD(S) leaders who are opposed to the alliance with the BJP.

“The agenda of the meeting… would be to stand for secularism,” he said.

“I am an elected leader. They cannot remove me. My father did not appoint me as the JD(S) president but the party leaders elected me,” a defiant Ibrahim claimed.

The former Karnataka JD(S) president said that he was not joining the Congress but added that “I like them and I love them”. He said he would back Rahul Gandhi if he decided to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Karnataka.