In BJP company, Kumaraswamy dons new colours; JD(S) goes hard right

On Saturday, came the latest illustration of Kumaraswamy’s “transformation”. At an event at a school in Mangaluru run by RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, known for his communal rhetoric and accused of triggering riots in the communally sensitive coastal districts of the state, Kumaraswamy heaped praise on Bhat. “I regret my past criticism (of Bhat), which was made due to the wrong information I received,” he said, adding that the visit had changed his mind. In a surprise move, he ended the speech by saying “Jai Shri Ram”.

Not long ago, Kumaraswamy was a vehement critic of Bhat. In 2020, when Bhat visited Ramanagar district, the JD(S) leader lashed out at him for “trying to spoil Ramanagar after spoiling Dakshina Kannada district”. Over the past decade, Kumaraswamy has criticised the RSS leader several times for making provocative remarks.

Sources in the JD(S) said Kumaraswamy was also scheduled to take part in Datta Jayanti at Baba Budangiri in Chikkamagaluru district that is the site of the disputed Datta Peetha shrine. The Sri Guru Dattatreya Bababudan Swamy Dargah, or Peetha, is revered by both Hindus and Muslims. It has been a bone of contention for around three decades, with right-wing Hindu activists projecting it as the Babri Masjid of the south. The Datta Jayanti event in which the JD(S) leader is set to participate is scheduled for later this month. In previous years, there have been several incidents of violence in the run-up to the event organised by Hindu right-wing groups, drawing criticism from JD(S) leaders.

In September, more than three months after the party hit its lowest ebb since 1999 in the Karnataka Assembly elections, and having firmed up the alliance with the BJP, Kumaraswamy said, “I stood by Muslims but they did not support me.” Other JD(S) leaders repeated this line afterwards, blaming the minority community for the party’s poll debacle that saw its seat count almost halved from 37 to 19.

But at a press conference after the alliance was formed, Kumaraswamy’s father and JD(S) chief and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda assured protection for minorities in Karnataka and maintained that the party would not let go of its secular credentials despite the coalition. As Gowda emphasised the point, Kumaraswamy interjected — much to his father’s visible annoyance — saying, “Why refer to just minorities? Say that we will protect all communities,” he said.

Split and sceptical

This is not the first time Kumaraswamy has joined forces with the BJP. In 2006, he engineered the defection of JD(S) MLAs from the coalition with the Congress and along with the BJP formed a government that lasted around 20 months. The so-called 20-20 alliance in which the two sides agreed to share power for 20 months each collapsed after differences between them about power sharing following the end of Kumaraswamy’s tenure as CM.

In 2018, when he formed the government with the Congress to keep the BJP out of power in Karnataka, Kumaraswamy claimed he had been a political novice in 2006 and “guilty of political decisions that hurt his father”.

Though Deve Gowda may be on board with the decision this time around, the alliance has not sat well with many leaders of the party, especially those from the minority community. Former JD(S) state president C M Ibrahim opposed the alliance and was expelled from the party on December 9. Along with others, including former JD(S) national vice president C K Nanu, who too was expelled, he has formed a breakaway faction of the JD(S). At its national plenary on Monday, this faction, calling itself the “real JD(S)”, removed Deve Gowda from the party presidency and appointed Nanu its national president. Only a few leaders from the minority community, such as MLC B M Farooq, are still with the JD(S).

Even among JD(S) legislators, there is scepticism about how the alliance and change in Kumaraswamy’s stance will play out during the Lok Sabha polls. “Muslim votes were a deciding factor that helped Kumaraswamy’s win in Channapatna constituency in May,” said a party leader, adding that the former CM’s new stance could further alienate Muslims.

“We had no option but to align with the BJP,” a senior JD(S) legislator told The Indian Express. “However, the change in stance can prove counterproductive, considering how minority communities have voted for the party historically.”