Mysuru, 8 Feb 

The feud between Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy and senior JD(S) leader GT Devegowda took a turn for the worse with the former saying that the Chamundeshwari MLA is no longer part of the party.

GT Devegowda will be replaced in the 2028 assembly polls, Kumaraswamy told the press in Mysuru. Kumaraswamy also accused GT Devegowda of moving closer to and even praising Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He said that GT Devegowda had been absent from party meetings.

“GTD is with a ‘great leader’ now,” the JD(S) second-in-command quipped. 

Kumaraswamy accused Siddaramaiah of being more focused on blaming the Centre or the JD(S) than working for development.

“The Congress government is a jaundiced eyed about me after I was elevated as the Union Steel and Heavy Industries Minister,” Kumaraswamy quipped.

GT Devegowda had earlier been stripped of several of his positions over anti-party activities. He has flirted with the idea of switching parties, but never committed.

INTERNAL PROBLEMS?

Kumaraswamy said that although HD Devegowda was willing to pass on the baton to someone outside the party, no one was willing to take up the top post and lead the JD(S) in the State.

He noted that a lot of this was likely due to former Hassan MP Prajawal’s sexual abuse scandal. Kumaraswamy lashed out at Siddaramaiah for targeting HD Devegowda, Prajwal’s grandfather. The attacks brought pain to the former prime minister at “his age”.

MANDYA AND RETURN TO STATE POLITICS

Addressing criticism that he had not brought any development to Mandya, his parliamentary constituency, Kumaraswamy said that the Union government has initiated measures to set up the Automotive Research Association of India research centre at Rs 500 crore. The Centre has sought the State’s help to acquire about 100 acres of land to set up the Centre. 

He also said the State Forest Department was not allowing iron ore to be extracted from Kudremukh in Chikmagaluru.

Although Karnataka needs my presence now, Kumaraswamy said, “I will be returning to State politics for the next assembly elections.