Gowda showcases his strength in JD(S) National Executive

Bangalore, Jan 28 (UNI) Janata Dal (Secular) owing allegiance to former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda today demonstrated its numerical strength with 40 of the 55 members showing up at the National Executive which began here today.

The presence of these members was significant in the light of the faction led by Mr Surendra Mohan and Lok Sabha Member Veerendra Kumar walking away to claim the status of the 'Real JD(S)' and expeling Mr Deve Gowda from the Party presidentship. After the break, ten of the 55 national executive members, including former Karnataka minister P G R Sindhya, were expelled from the primary membership.

Presidents from 17 state units out of 20 were present in the meeting. Orissa was the prominent exception while Jammu and Kashmir unit President could not attend because of ill health. Delhi assembly deputy speaker Shoaib Iqbal is currently on Haj pilgrimage and had expressed his faith in the leadership of Mr Gowda.

Today's executive would be followed by a day-long national council meeting at Bangalore Palace grounds tomorrow, which would adopt the resolutions finalised by the executive, JD(S) Secretary General K Danish Ali told reporters here today.

Mr Gowda who was present, however claimed this was not a show of strength. However he told the media, ''but you are free to make your own inference.'' ''This is not a meeting convened to make members to express solidarity in me. Ours is not a party of one person. We work according to our ideology,'' he said.

Referring to Mr Mohan's group, he said ''My old friends recently said that I will destroy the party. Today's meeting has made them realise their mistake. They had hatched an evil design to destabilise the party,'' Mr Gowda alleged.

The executive today finalised resolutions on politics, economics and foreign relations. The party would demand the union and state governments to provide fresh loans at 3.5 per cent to help farmers who were commiting suicide as they were unable to repay their loans in various parts of the country, including Maharashtra, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh, he said.

UNI