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Crisis Deepens for Janata Dal Secular

MA Siraj

The existential crisis that jolted the Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) in 2023 in the aftermath of the Assembly elections in Karnataka has deepened further in the wake of sex scam involving its incumbent MP from Hassan Prajwal Revanna, who is a grandson of former prime minister Devegowda and son of H. D. Revanna, MLA from Holenarsipur.

Since the party is identified closely with the Devegowda’s family, the damage has left deep scars on its reputation which may not heal anytime soon.

The Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) had emerged badly bruised from the 2023 Assembly elections in Karnataka.

The party’s presence in the 224-member house had plunged to nearly half of its previous strength from 37 in 2028 to 19. Its voteshare too got shaved off by five per cent.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained its voteshare of 36 per cent but suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of the Indian National Congress which increased its votes from previous 38 per cent in 2019 to 43 per cent in 2023.

The Congress party won a landslide with 166 seats in its kitty. The JDS has been a beneficiary of the keen tussle between the Congress and the BJP in Karnataka, the only state in south India, where the BJP had been in power twice.

The deep wedge between the two claimants to power enabled Mr. H. D. Kumaraswamy, the scion of the Devegowda family, to reap a serendipitous windfall by grabbing the chief ministerial seat.

But the sex scam threatens to knock the party off this pivotal slot between the two biggies of the state politics.

The JDS must thank its star for sex scam not having burst earlier. The videos allegedly involving the young MP became viral only a couple of days prior to the polling in Hassan constituency on April 26.

Their impact on Prajwal’s chances at the hustings are still uncertain. His adversaries may have to wait for the court case to conclude wherein a specific charge of rape has been made.

As for other videos, legion in count, might earn him an image of a playboy, but leave him legally unscathed.

But that’s not all. Prajwal is a third general politician from the family of grand patriarch Devegowda.

The family is known for its political clout in districts of Cauvery basin where lies the core Vokkaliga votebank which has kept them afloat even in worst of times.

Devegowda is now a member of the Rajya Sabha. He lost the LS election from Tumakaru during 2019. His sons, HD Kumaraswamy and HD Revanna are MLAs.

Former’s sons, Prajwal and Suraj Gowda are MP and MLC respectively. HD Kumaraswamy’s son lost the LS election last time while contesting against independent candidate actor Sumalatha from Mandya.

Wives of Kumaraswamy and Revanna too have held legislative positions at different points of time. The family’s love for pelf, positions, power and land has been legendary.

But the sex scam has unveiled aspects that have though not been unknown, have largely remained out of the realm of recognisable public misconduct.

With father-son duo now under the scanner and salacious details are getting out on the social media platforms gradually, it is inconceivable that the reputation will remain unsullied.

The scam has all the trappings of a potboiler that is unleashing sleazy bits of a young—and unmarried at that—politician and MP’s maniacal pursuit of pleasures.

Some previous cases of this nature are pending in the courts and a gag order from a court in one such case has prevented the media from making them public knowledge.

Financial corruption is often forgivable. But moral corruption leaves gashes that require decades to heal.

Close identification of the party with the family has now left the party on the precipice of extreme vulnerability.

No wonder why Mr. Kumaraswamy’s comment should be seen as distancing the party from the Revanna and Prajwal’s shadows.

The JDS has never been known for any distinct ideology, policy and programme. It has mainly gravitated around Devegowda and his family’s interests.

Now that the family’s reputation has become tainted, the party’s collapse is imminent. Not alone this.

The second phase of polling for another 14 Lok Sabha seats from north Karnataka is due on May 7.

The BJP having been in league with the JDS can scarcely ward off the collateral damage. It is true that there are no JDS candidates in those seats.

But the videos of Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi seeking votes for Prajwal are spreading like wildfire and stigma of questionable company is all likely to alter what was so far predictable.

It will be Herculean task to stave off a collapse of the party.