Nikhil as JD(S) state president emerges as a possibility

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: JD(S) Karnataka Youth Wing President Nikhil Kumaraswamy’s name has been suggested for the post of the party’s state president by many within the outfit. If the proposal comes to pass, he would replace his father HD Kumaraswamy whose attention has now shifted to the Centre after being appointed as the Union Minister for Heavy Industries, Steel and Public Enterprises.

A JD(S) core committee meeting was chaired by Kumaraswamy on Saturday wherein it was decided that the next state president would be elected by way of an election.

The electoral exercise is supposed to be one of the measures undertaken to turn the outfit into a cadre-based party. The last two JD(S) state presidents – HD Kumaraswamy and CM Ibrahim – were not selected through polling.

Moreover, the regional outfit will undertake a membership drive in the next two to three months, Kumaraswamy disclosed. He added that there had been “suggestions” within the party for Nikhil to be elevated to the party state president post.

It is to be noted that if Nikhil were to contest elections for the post of the JD(S) state president, he is likely to win because he belongs to the “first family” of the outfit. His grandfather is the JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.

Nikhil is also the son of two-time Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy. Deve Gowda’s other son active in electoral politics is Holenarasipura MLA HD Revanna.

However, he is beset by allegations of rape and kidnapping. His sons, former MP Prajwal and MLC Suraj, are jailed on rape and sodomy charges as well, making it difficult for the Revanna clan to make a push for the post of the JD(S) state president.

Also, Kumaraswamy has vacated his Assembly seat Channapatana, necessitating a bypoll. As a consequence, he also vacated the JD(S) legislature party leader’s post. Chamundeshwari MLA GT Devegowda, Chikkanayakanahalli Suresh Babu and Shivamogga Rural MLA Sharada Puryanaik have emerged as contenders to replace Kumaraswamy as the floor leader in the Assembly. The monsoon session begins on July 15 and ends on July 25.