– Radiance News Service
Bengaluru, 25 Sep: In a major political development that may further alter Karnataka’s political landscape, senior Muslim leaders of the Janata Dal-Secular or JD(S) have announced their resignation from the party in protest against its decision to align with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). This realignment is poised to reshape the dynamics of Karnataka’s politics with the JD(S) losing a significant chunk of its prominent Muslim leadership, raising questions about its future trajectory and influence in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024. In the 2023 state elections, the JD(S) saw a decline in support from Muslim voters who drifted to the Indian National Congress.
The resignation by the Muslim JD(S) leadership erupted following reports of a meeting between former JD(S) Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, BJP National President JP Nadda, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah last Friday. After this meeting, a group of JD(S) Muslim leaders convened at the Kumara Krupa guesthouse and unanimously decided to sever ties with their party. The meeting witnessed strong opposition from JD(S) Muslim leaders regarding the party’s plans to ally with the BJP.
Among the prominent figures leaving the JD(S) are former minister NM Nabi, JD(S) senior vice-president Syed Shafiulla, former New Delhi representative Mohid Altaf, youth wing president NM Noor, and former minority wing chief Nasir Hussain Ustad.
After the JD(S) entry into the NDA, Muslim leaders were upset. They felt that because JD(S) is a secular party, it should not have joined a party that is known for its anti-Muslim rhetoric and playing with communal issues when it was in power in the state. The Muslim JD(S) leaders emphasized that it wasn’t just Muslim leaders but also some “secular Hindus” within the JD(S) who were disheartened by the party’s decision.
Denying their possible entry into Congress in the immediate future, these Muslim leaders asserted that they do not need a party to carry out social work. They will go wherever they get a chance to serve the society.
Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh remarked, “The B-team of the BJP in the state – JD(S) – has officially become part of the NDA, that too a day following the most nakedly communal attack by a BJP MP on a former senior JD(S) leader in the Lok Sabha.”
