Trouble in JD(S) may rob it of chief opposition party status

Bangalore, Aug 28: The position of Janata Dal (Secular) as the principal Opposition party in the Legislative Assembly seems to be shaky with at least two of its MLAs threatening to quit.

The party is facing discontent after it suffered a drubbing in the recent byelections to two key parliamentary seats in the Vokkaliga belt.

While Zameer Ahmed Khan, the legislator from Chamarajpet, has already snapped ties with the party in recent months, Mallikarjuna Khuba, the MLA from Basavakalyana of Bidar district on Wednesday submitted a letter to JD(S)?national president H?D?Deve Gowda expressing his intention of quitting the party, in case he is not made the chief whip or the party president. The party held its executive committee meeting on Wednesday.

Khuba has told Gowda that it would be difficult for him to function as an MLA if he is not given any position. Giving a responsible position would help in strengthening the party in the North Karnataka region, he claimed. However, Gowda did not react to the resignation threat. Khuba has not submitted his resignation to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. “He has expressed views on certain matters. We will sort out the differences,” Gowda told reporters.

The 36-year-old Khuba, a second-time MLA and a businessman, has been in the JD(S) for about a decade now. He is opposing the party considering the name of Bandeppa Kashempur, former MLA from Bidar, for the party president's post. Like Khuba, Zameer had set his eyes on the post of chief whip, which has the status of a minister of state.

Meanwhile, party MLA?N?Cheluvarayasamy held talks with Zameer to convince him to stay in the party. Zameer has been sulking though he has not aired his views in public. He is eyeing a Congress ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Bangalore, it is learnt.

Ironically, Gowda had convened the meeting to address the turmoil that has surfaced in the party after H D Kumaraswamy resigned as State party president,owning moral responsibility for the party's debacle in the bypolls.

Khuba, a Lingayat, in another letter to Gowda, has reportedly said that Kumaraswamy should be continued as the president. He has also said that the party should not continue to neglect Lingayats.

Speaking to the media after submitting his letters, Khuba said, “In case he (Kumaraswamy) is out of the post, his replacement should not be a newcomer to the party, but someone like him who has been associated with the party for many years.”

With the JD(S) and the BJP currently having equal number of MLAs (40), JD(S) will end up losing the status of the principal opposition party, even if one of these MLAs quits.

The JD(S) has been accorded the status as it was ahead of the BJP in terms of percentage of total votes secured. The BJP, on its part, is eagerly waiting to elevate itself as the principal opposition party.

Cong hand suspected

The consternation in the JD(S) is seen as a victory to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the arch-rival of Gowda and Kumaraswamy. Speculations are rife in the JD(S) that the ruling Congress is behind all the problems being faced by the father-son duo.

Interestingly, Khuba was once a staunch follower of Siddaramaiah. It is said that the Congress has promised to make the Basavakalyana MLA a member of a high-level committee to be set up to oversee development of the Hyderabad Karnataka region under Article 371 (J)?of the Constitution. It is said he also enjoys the support of two senior Congress MPs of the region. Once the party gets a new president, the disgruntled MLAs are likely to quit the party since they have realised there is not much scope for the party to grow, at least in the immediate future.

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A Tragic End—Mortal Remains of Entrepreneur Mumtaz Ali Found In River

News Network

October 7,2024

Mangaluru, Oct 7: In a heartbreaking turn of events, the search for Mumtaz Ali, chairman of Misbah Group of Educational Institutions, ended with the discovery of his mortal remains in the Phalguni river near Kulur. The somber discovery came after an exhaustive search, leaving a community in shock and sorrow.

He is the younger brother of former MLA Mohuiddin Bawa and former MLC B M Farookh.

The incident has taken a deeply distressing turn with the filing of an FIR against six individuals, including a woman, who are accused of pushing Ali to a tragic end.

The accused allegedly blackmailed Ali, fabricating a story about his involvement in an illicit relationship with the woman. Reports suggest that they extorted Rs 50 lakh from Ali and were unrelenting, demanding an additional Rs 50 lakh from him, casting a shadow over his final days.

The complaint, lodged by Ali’s grieving brother, accuses these individuals of driving him to despair through relentless blackmail and false accusations, ultimately leading him to take the tragic step.

In the early hours of Sunday, Ali left his home at 3 am, heading towards Suratkal, perhaps seeking some solace. A minor accident occurred when his car collided with a private bus near MCF. Despite the mishap, he offered a heartfelt apology to the bus driver and conductor—a gesture that now echoes with the pain of his unspoken struggles. After the collision, Ali made a U-turn near Panambur circle, driving back towards Kulur bridge, where his journey came to a sorrowful end.

Ali’s last moments hold an even deeper sadness, as he left behind a voice message in Byari, naming an individual who had been tormenting him mentally. Sent to his daughter and a close friend, the message revealed the unbearable burden he was carrying, hinting at his final decision to end his suffering.

This tragic loss has left the community and his loved ones grappling with unanswered questions and a profound sense of grief. As the investigation unfolds, the memory of Mumtaz Ali lingers, a reminder of the silent battles that too often go unseen.

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