JD most degenerate lot: minister

Jalappa reminded JD workers that he himself had been suspended from the party once for supporting an Independent candidate in the elections to the Legislative Council. Discipline meant action against anyone, however senior, he said.

Turning his ire on the party organisation, the Union Minister charged it was “so bad that the working president was performing the role of a sleeping president, as there was very little to do.”

While this got the goat of working president A Lakshmisagar, who denied he was “lying low”, he admitted he couldn’t do much besides press upon leaders the need to hold organisational elections.

Chief Minister J H Patel, in an obvious hint at disgruntled elements, made it clear that not everyone in the party could be given posts. There are five lakh party workers and only about 5,000 posts including assembly, council, zilla parishad and panchayat seats he pointed out. “How can everyone can get posts of some ranking?” he asked. But Jalappa had a rejoinder to this. Though it was true that not all could be given a post of power, all sections of the party should get adequate representation, he demanded.

The party, however, remained optimistic about its chances. In future, Patel said, the BJP would align with local parties at the local level and have a combine like the UF at the national level. The Congress would slowly disintegrate or merge with some group, he predicted. Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed talks that the Congress and BJP were getting stronger were just propaganda. In the Agricultural Products’ Marketing Corporation elections, he pointed out, the JD had won 49 of the 104 seats, while the Congress had got 39.

Union Civil Aviation Minister and former State JD president C M Ibrahim seemed eager to put the record straight as far as his position was concerned. Patel was not attacking him when he said a dynamic person must take over the Karnataka unit, Ibrahim claimed.