Patel outwits Gowda, dissolves Assembly

In New Delhi, the rival JD factions fought over the “wheel” symbol with former PM Deve Gowda leading his supporters to the Election Commission claiming that they were the “real Janata Dal” and hence the symbol should be theirs. Not to be left behind, leader of the group that aligned with the Lok Shakti and the Samata yesterday, Sharad Yadav, suspended Gowda and Jaipal Reddy for anti-party activities. Siddaramaiah was also removed from his post of Karnataka State unit chief.

But it was Bangalore which witnessed high political drama at Patel’s residence since this morning. Whilethe Gowda faction, led by C Narayanaswamy, “guarded” the JD office throughout the night with over 100 workers, Patel and his supporters were picking out key members of the enemy camp who were to be axed.

Decisions over, Patel was off to Raj Bhavan armed with the names of Siddaramaiah, H C Mahadevappa, H D Revanna, Thippeswamy (all Cabinet ministers) and V Satyanarayana, Venkatesh, Varade Gowda and R Krishnappa (ministers of State). “They have lost confidence in me and I have lost confidence in them,” he told reporters.

Having got rid of his rivals in the Cabinet, Patel returned home. “I am holding a meeting of my Council of Ministers now to resolve that the Assembly be dissolved,” he said making clear his next move. Within half-an-hour, his Council of Ministers passed a “unanimous resolution” and Patel went back to the Raj Bhavan with it.

Why drop ministers if he was dissolving the House? “For heaven’s sake, they are forming a new party,” he shot back. As for the JD office which was being heldby Gowda supporters, Patel said, “The intruders will be thrown out.” He said C Byre Gowda and not Siddaramaiah had been named president of the State unit and that the Race Course Road legally belonged to his group. The JD national president is still Sharad Yadav, he pointed out.

Patel delinked the split in the JD from his move to dissolve the Assembly. Justifying his action, he said the Assembly would not be convened before the elections as there was no agenda to be discussion. Asked about his next move, Patel quipped: “Elections, what else?” As for the possibility of President’s Rule, he said that such a decision had to come from the Centre.

Earlier, even Raj Bhavan was not left out of the drama. Even as Patel left the Governor’s mansion after handing over the resolution to dissolve the Assembly, seven of the eight ministers, whom he had sacked earlier, came with their supporters to submit a memorandum to the Governor withdrawing support to Patel.

The memorandum, however, could not be accepted asthey were late. The Governor had already dissolved the Assembly. They left dejected, raising anti-Patel slogans.

The Gowda camp was caught unawares. With most of their leaders away in Delhi, they were unsure of how to deal with the aggressive manoeuvres of Patel. Some even contemplated staging a dharna before the Raj Bhavan, but General Secretary C Narayanaswamy reined them in. He said their next move would be made known only after Deve Gowda and Siddaramaiah returned to the city.

Narayanswamy said the dissolution was meant to keep Patel as caretaker Chief Minister “by hook or crook”, and that it was “unfortunate” the Governor acted “unconstitutionally” without consulting the other (Deve Gowda) faction. He said the national-level split in the JD was reason enough for the Governor to consult the Deve Gowda faction. “Heavens would not have fallen if he (Governor) had waited for two hours and consulted the Legislature Secretary whether Patel enjoys a majority,” he said.

On their holding on to theJD office, Narayanaswamy said: “We can’t be called intruders. We are the inheritors of this place”. The Gowda faction is now waiting for tomorrow’s executive meeting.