JD-S MLAs divided over Gowda's whip

When the Janata Dal-Secular issued a whip to vote against the Bharatiya Janata Party during the floor test on Monday, it took everyone by surprise. The big question remains whether all the JD-S MLAs were in favour of issuing such a whip.

While H D Deve Gowda loyalists swear that it was a unanimous decision, there are others within the party who said that several MLAs were not in favour of the whip being issued. JD-S spokesperson Y S V Datta said there were no differences within the party and in one unanimous voice all the MLAs agreed that the whip be issued.

However, inside sources said that there were at least 14 MLAs within the JD-S who were opposed to the whip being issued. The MLAs expressed their apprehensions about going for elections as they felt that the party may be wiped out if they faced the people after such political drama.

Some of the MLAs spoke out at the meeting chaired by H D Deve Gowda to issue the whip against the BJP. A few of them have even decided to desert the party and look for greener political pastures. At the meeting, one MLA said the party would go to the dogs if Gowda continued to take such inconsistent decisions.

Sources said only 18 out of the 50-odd MLAs had accepted the whip without a fight. The rest were completely opposed to it and only 18 MLAs, including Gowda's sons Kumaraswamy and H D Revanna, voluntarily accepted the whip, while others were annoyed at the decision being imposed on them.

Mudapa Muniyappa, one of the MLAs, told Gowda during the meeting, "Push us out from the Vidhan Soudha instead of doing this to us."

Some of the MLAs even told an adamant Gowda that the party will face a severe backlash and they would become a laughing stock. H C Balakrishna, another MLA, tried his best to convince Gowda against taking such a decision, but in the end said he had no option but to agree with the dikkat of the seniors.

Veerbasanth Reddy, V Hebbal and Amaregouda Bayyapur also opposed and criticised Gowda's decision during the meeting. Gowda, however, did not budge and was adamant throughout the meeting.

Gowda also realised that a majority of his MLAs were disgruntled and were getting into a rebellious mood. After issuing the whip, he ended the meeting by telling his MLAs," There is no pressure on anyone to accept the whip. Do what you want. I will not come in your way."

But there was nothing much the MLAs could do as they themselves had authorised Gowda and his son Kumaraswamy to take a final decision on Sunday. The MLAs had also signed on a letter in which they stated that they would abide by any decision taken by the father-son duo.

In the end, the MLAs did not have to exercise their vote as Yeddyurappa resigned before the floor test could be taken.