Why Prakash's return is good for the JD-S

Senior Janata Dal-Secular leader M P Prakash returned to the H D Deve Gowda camp on Thursday.

Prakash had fallen out with the Gowda clan after the latter decided to go with the Bharatiya Janata Party and form the government in Karnataka.

Prakash now says that he is with Deve Gowda and will concentrate on strengthening the party. He, however, swore not to have anything to do with the government.

"Deve Gowda is my leader," Prakash said on Thursday. The trick is said to have been done by H D Kumaraswamy who had visited Prakash late on Wednesday night and persuaded him to set aside differences and return to the party.

Kumaraswamy had said on an earlier occasion also that he would try and persuade Prakash.

For the JD-S, Prakash is a key person. Not only due to his seniority, but he is also their best speaker on the floor of the House. Also attached with Prakash is the Lingayat factor.

The Gowda clan could have afforded to rub the Lingayats the wrong way once again barely in three weeks.

Kumaraswamy and his father, Deve Gowda had borne the brunt of the Lingayat community after they refused to hand over power to BJP leader, B S Yediyurappa who is also a Lingayat.

At the moment all seems to be well in the JD-S camp. Sources say that Prakash may stay away from the government for the time being, but would be given a cabinet berth at a later stage. This move too seems like a deja vu as when the JD-S and BJP had initially formed the government, Prakash had decided to stay away. However at a later stage, he was inducted as the home minister.

After the JD-S decided to support the BJP in Karnataka for the second time, Prakash said that he felt humiliated and any truck with the BJP could prove fatal to the government.

He had also met the governor and requested him not to permit this unholy alliance to form the government.

Prakash had also explored the option of splitting the party and forming the government with the Congress, but realised he lacked the sufficient numbers for a majority on the floor of the House.