Krishnappa new state JD-S chief

Kumaraswamy had quit after the JD-S was routed in recent Parliament bypolls in the Vokkaliga heartland of Bangalore Rural and Mandya by Congress that consolidated its OBC,minority vote base.

Krishnappa was unanimously elected at a meeting chaired by Gowda,a JD-S release said. The election is subject to ratification by the party national executive in October.

“There has been propaganda that the JD-S is a father-children party and belongs to one community. We want to send a message that ours is not a father-children party and JD-S does not belong to one community,’’ Gowda said.

Krishnappa,in consultation with Gowda and Kumaraswamy,will re-constitute the parliamentary board and political affairs committees of the party in the next three-four days,the JD-S release said.

“A committee that will look into elections in all 28 parliamentary segments will be created,’’ it said.

The core committee is to present JD-S as a coalition of communities in Karnataka. The strategy has helped the party in the past.

“I will have to tour other states where the JD-S is in a position to fight Parliament elections. In Kerala,we have had a tie-up with the Left parties for the last 30 years,’’ Gowda said.

Krishnappa,who was in the Congress until the May Assembly polls,took potshots at Siddaramaiah. “By making Mr Siddaramaiah Chief Minister,the Congress feels it has done a lot for backward-class people. However,Mr Gowda and Mr Kumaraswamy,when they were in power,did more for the backward classes than the Congress,’’ he said..