The Janata Dal (Secular) has carried out a significant shake-up of its internal organization, notably removing veteran legislator G.T. Devegowda from his position as head of the party’s core committee. This restructuring also highlights the growing prominence of the party’s ‘first family’ members in key leadership roles.

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Devegowda’s Removal and Dissatisfaction

G.T. Devegowda, a former minister and sitting MLA for Chamundeshwari, was replaced by former Deputy Speaker M. Krishna Reddy as the core committee chief. The change comes after Devegowda had reportedly grown distant from party affairs, failing to convene committee meetings since his appointment in August 2023.

Sources indicate that the five-time MLA’s dissatisfaction stemmed from being passed over for the role of JD(S) Legislature Party leader. Devegowda was said to have eyed the post after it was vacated by H.D. Kumaraswamy, but the party ultimately appointed C.B. Suresh Babu, a decision that further alienated the veteran leader. According to a former JD(S) legislator, the removal was necessary to ensure the core committee remained active in preparation for upcoming local body and Greater Bengaluru Authority elections.

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The Rise of the Deve Gowda Family’s Younger Generation

The reshuffle simultaneously saw the elevation of several members from the family of party patriarch and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. This signals a strategic effort to consolidate the family’s control and inject new energy into the leadership.

• Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the President of the JD(S) Youth Wing and son of Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, has been given increased responsibility. He was named a member of the Political Affairs Committee, headed by his father, and is increasingly seen as the party’s key face in Karnataka.
• Suraj Revanna, an MLC and son of H.D. Revanna, was inducted into the campaign committee, which is led by Y.S.V. Dutta. H.D. Revanna, another prominent family member, was retained on the core committee.
• In a notable inclusion, G.T. Devegowda’s own son, G.D. Harish, who is the MLA for Hunsur, was also brought onto the campaign committee.

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Lingering Congress Speculation

Devegowda, famous for defeating former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Chamundeshwari constituency in the 2018 assembly polls, has a long-standing history of being courted by the Congress. Ahead of the 2023 elections, his potential defection to the Congress was a major talking point, only to be diffused after H.D. Deve Gowda personally intervened to pacify him.

Recent events, however, have revived speculation, as Devegowda has publicly defended Siddaramaiah on several occasions. Despite the political maneuverings, it is deemed unlikely that G.T. Devegowda will resign and join the Congress right now, as he is only halfway through his term and may fear a bypoll election on a Congress ticket would be poorly received by his local constituents.