Unease over Nikhil’s potential elevation as JD(S) state prez

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

Internal disagreements have cropped up in the JD(S) over the purported plan to make Nikhil Kumaraswamy the party state president. Nikhil occupies the JD(S) Karnataka youth wing president post and is the son of Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy and party patriarch HD Devegowda. Kumaraswamy is the current JD(S) state president and since he is busy with his ministerial duties in New Delhi, the party wants him replaced. A section of the 18 party MLAs are upset over the decision while another is open to it. The former camp is wary of the fact that Nikhil has lost three elections in a row.

He had lost the Mandya Lok Sabha seat to independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh in 2019, Ramanagar Assembly seat to Congressman NA Iqbal Hussain in 2023 and recently defeated by veteran CP Yogeshwar in Channapatna by a margin of more than 25,000 votes. The critics point out there were suitable and experienced leaders who could lead the party in Karnataka. JD(S) Core Committee Chairman and Chamundeshwari MLA GT Devegowda’s name has come up but he’s keeping away from party activities right now. Former MLA SR Mahesh is another leader who was cited. They also believe the perception of dynastic politics was hurting the party’s fortunes. The controversy erupted when Devegowda recently suggested that Nikhil would be made JD(S) state president in an interview to TV9. “We will give the party’s responsibility to him,” Devegowda said. “This is to give him the responsibility of the state as far as growing the party is concerned. He’s a youngster but he also has experience, family background and knowledge of things.''