HVK Archives: JD most degenerate lot: minister
JD most degenerate lot: minister - The Indian Express
Express News Service
()
12 May 1997
Title : JD most degenerate lot: minister
Author : Express News Service
Publication : The Indian Express
Date : May 12, 1997
The contentious election to the Karnataka Janata Dal president's post seems to
have left the party unit in the mood for self-introspection. At a function to
felicitate the finally chosen chief on Saturday, JD leaders were candid in their
assessment of the party's organisation and its standing with the public.
No other party has degenerated to the level the JD has done, thundered Union
Minister R L Jalappa, blaming it on indiscipline. It was wrong to assume that the
party in power would automatically he strengthened, he warned en, adding there was
an urgent need to weed out indiscipline.
Jalappa reminded JD workers that he himself had been suspended from the party once
for supporting an Independent candidate in the elections to the Legislative
Council. Discipline meant action against anyone, however senior, he said.
Turning his ire on the party organisation, the Union Minister charged it was "so
bad that the working president was performing the role of a sleeping president, as
there was very little to do."
While this got the goat of working president A Lakshmisagar, who denied he was
"lying low", he admitted he couldn't do much besides press upon leaders the need
to hold organisational elections.
Chief Minister J H Patel, in an obvious hint at disgruntled elements, made it dear
that not everyone in the party could be given posts. There are five lakh party
workers and only about 5,000 posts - including assembly, council, zilla parishad
and panchayat seats - he pointed out. "How can everyone can get posts of some
ranking?" he asked.
But Jalappa had a rejoinder to this. Though it was true that not all could be
given a post of power, all sections of the party should get adequate
representation, he demanded.
The party, however, remained optimistic about its chances. In future, Patel said,
the BJP would align with local parties at the local level and have a combine like
the UF at the national level. The Congress would slowly disintegrate or merge with
some group, he predicted. Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed talks that
the Congress and BJP were getting stronger were just propaganda. In the
Agricultural Products' Marketing Corporation elections, he pointed out the JD had
won 49 of the 104 seats, while the Congress had got 39.
Union Civil Aviation Minister and former State JD president C M Ibrahim seemed
eager to put the record straight as far as his position was concerned. Patel was
not attacking him when he said a dynamic person must take over the Karnataka unit,
Ibrahim claimed.
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