ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

JD stops infighting, looks at the enemy without

The conclave of senior Janata Dal leaders from Karnataka on Wednesday decided to put on hold the contentious issue of restructuring the state cabinet, and instead revamp the state unit in view of next year's assembly elections.

The decision was taken at a three-hour meeting attended by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, former Union minister S R Bommai, Chief Minister J H Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Siddharamiah and state unit president B L Shankar.

The peace initiative assumes significance in the wake of eruption of dissidence following the expansion of the state cabinet last month. There were widespread protests that senior leaders were not consulted before the chief minister undertook the expansion.

Briefing the media after the conclave at Deve Gowda's residence, Shankar said the leaders have decided to restructure the party, the state owned corporations and the ministry in that order.

No time-frame had been fixed for completing the exercise, he said, adding that it would not take a long time since gram panchayat elections were due in December and assembly elections next year.

He, however, indicated that in the next cabinet reshuffle some ministers might be drafted for party work. Performance of the minister would be taken into account before the chief minister restructures his cabinet, he added.

Shankar said the emphasis of the meeting was on unity of the Janata Dal and to have widest possible consultations before taking a final decision. So far, all the top leaders and those from the taluks and districts had been consulted.

He said he was happy that the meeting was fruitful and cordial, and decided to take a 'forget, forgive and forward-looking' attitude. The party would have a three-tier structure -- district, assembly and gram panchayat level units.

He said there was perfect understanding among leaders, and the restructuring of the party would start immediately. There were at least two major elections in the next is months. The village panchayat elections in December and elections to the state assembly in November 1999. There was an air of uncertainty about Lok Sabha elections also considering the slender and delicately balanced house, he added.

He said the party would take caste, religion and region into consideration and the next party team would be a ''war time team.''

''The time for war within is over,'' he remarked.

The cabinet restructuring would obviously have to be within the 120-odd legislators. Patel is already on record that he would correct the social imbalance caused by the recent expansion.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report