JD-S rebels declare senior Kerala leader C.K. Nanu as party's national chief

Bengaluru: Janata Dal-Secular's (JD-S) former Karnataka President C.M. Ibrahim on Monday announced that expelled leader C.K. Nanu has been appointed as the national President of the party in the place of former PM H.D. Deve Gowda.

Deve Gowda had recently announced the expulsion of Ibrahim and national Vice President Nanu from the JD-S for "anti-party activities" after they had challenged its alliance with the BJP in Karnataka.

The rebel leaders from JD-S held a meeting under the leadership of Ibrahim in Bengaluru and made the announcement.

Speaking to reporters, Ibrahim declared that Nanu has been appointed as the national President of the JD-S.

"This is not my decision; it is the decision taken by the National Executive Committee. We are leaving to meet Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former CM Lalu Prasad Yadav.

"We will conduct a large-scale rally in Hubballi in January. Uttar Pradesh's former CM Akhilesh Yadav, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, and Rahul Gandhi will be invited. Socialist Jayaprakash Narayan, Mahatma Gandhiji, and former CM Ramkrishna Hegde are alive for their ideologies even after death. But, though few are living, they will be like dead bodies," Ibrahim said in a taunt at Deve Gowda.

"To protect the interest of children, for two seats, you (Deve Gowda) have sacrificed the ideologies. The power of appointing Presidents of all states is given to Nanu. Today, the national President's post is taken away from Deve Gowda and handed over to Nanu," he said.

"You (Deve Gowda) have compromised with ideology at 92 years of age. I did not take the offer to become Union Minister when (then Prime Minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee invited me. I did not take the post of Governor as well. Five JD-S) MLAs are with us," Ibrahim said.

Sources said the rebels are all set to challenge their expulsion from the JD-S legally and also stake claim to the party symbol.CK