Union minister Kumarasawamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy likely to be Karnataka JD(S) chief

A meeting of the state JD(S) core committee chaired by Kumaraswamy discussed both the issues on Saturday. The Union minister said that party MLAs had empowered him to appoint the leader. “A final decision will be arrived at after consulting (former PM and JD(S) national president) H D Deve Gowda,” he said.

In a bid to turn the JD(S) into a cadre-based party, elections will be held to choose the party’s state president, he said, indicating that he would step down from the post. The party is also launching a statewide membership campaign, according to the Union minister.

G T Deve Gowda, the most senior among the 19 JD(S) MLAs, is tipped to be the next legislature party leader. An announcement to that effect is likely in the coming week, JD(S) sources said. Names of legislators such as Suresh Babu have also done the rounds as possible candidates for the post.

The talk of Nikhil Kumaraswamy helming the JD(S) state unit has been doing the rounds ever since his father joined the Union cabinet. Nikhil has taken an active role in state politics over the past couple of years, putting him in pole position to be the next state president, according to a JD(S) leader.

Kumaraswamy said Saturday that there were “suggestions from senior JDS(S) leaders” that Nikhil should be actively engaged to strengthen the state unit. Nikhil’s possible ascent as head of the state unit is unlikely to face any challenges, especially with both the children of JD(S) MLA H D Revanna, who is Kumaraswamy’s brother, in jail over sexual assault allegations.

“We will take some important decisions to organise the party in the coming days. Office-bearers will be changed. We will reorganise the party from the bottom up,” Kumaraswamy told reporters.

The JD(S) is looking to bolster its ranks especially after the encouraging results in the Lok Sabha polls. The NDA ally won two of the three seats it contested and helped the BJP win in a few seats in South Karnataka. The results came as a relief for the party feared to be in a downward spiral following its disastrous performance in the 2023 Assembly polls.