JDS, Congress trying to keep the flock together as BJP is on prowl

Bengaluru: With political poaching gathering steam in the State following the BJP spreading its net wider, Congress and JDS have started keeping their flock together. While BJP is undoubtedly going for the kill, the Congress is eyeing the MLAs who feel marginalised in the JDS.

The first name to appear is that of YSV Datta, former MLA of JDS, after Basavaraj Horatti, former Speaker of State Assembly, crossed over to the BJP. Datta is one of the long-standing JDS leaders and confidante of former PM HD Deve Gowda. Circles close to Datta told Hans India that Dutta has been under the wings of Deve Gowda since his student days and socialist movement when he was just 20 years old. He had been with Deve Gowda in the thick and thin of the JDS. Dutta was one of the key advisors to Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy in the 20-20 government in a truck with the BJP.

But will Datta dump the party at this point? That is the question. He had confided in one of the sources, that he was 69 years now and 'if my services are not recognised or rewarded even at this point of life, I feel I have been wasted by the political system I am in'. Datta secured a ticket from JDS to contest the Kadur Assembly seat which he won.

Rumours about his shifting loyalty has been rife right since February when he met Congress' Siddaramiah, but he has never even once met any of the BJP leaders. But the Congress is not very enthusiastic about inviting Datta into the party. He is too ordinary in his political outlook and may not fit into the culture of the Congress. This is also the reason why even in JDS Datta was on the sidelines when people like Zameer Ahmed Khan (now in Congress) and Cheluvaraya Swamy, former MP, made most of the political influence they had gained being close to Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy.

"I do have a grouse against JDS, the party keeps wavering in its stand and is not doing enough to fight BJP, which is why the secular parties in Karnataka and secular politicians have lost so much ground. This wavering sends a wrong signal to the party's voters and followers.

Deve Gowda's firm stand on secularism is evident and adequately clear, but is the present leadership including Kumaraswamy carrying his legacy?" Datta said in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy are wary of the leaders and workers leaving the party following which HD Kumaraswamy has been in touch with the old guards of the party and has given them a call to bring in promising youngsters into the party fold.