Bengaluru, DHNS: Kumaraswamy vows to bring JD(S) back to power in Karnataka. Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and his son H D Kumaraswamy were re-elected the national and state president respectively of the JD(S) at the party’s national and state executives held here on Friday.

While Gowda gave a call to his partymen to ensure enrolment of one crore members in the next few months, Kumaraswamy said that the JD(S) could win over 110 seats during the next Assembly elections, provided the party workers exhibited commitment. The duo were addressing the party’s two-day national executive/council meeting which concluded on Friday.

“If we don’t enrol more than one crore members, then we will not be able to run the party,” said Gowda. “I am 84-year-old, and leading a party at my age is difficult. I was not keen on shouldering the responsibility again. But, the deteriorating political atmosphere is threatening the democratic system of the country, which I am committed to protect. I have decided not to run away from politics. I will struggle hard. I will not shut my mouth in Parliament, my voice will be heard louder,” he stated.

Challenging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that JD(S) would emerge victorious in the next elections, Kumaraswamy vowed that he would waive farmer loans within 24 hours of coming to power. The former chief minister said that he was introducing changes in his lifestyle, so that he can invest himself completely into strengthening the party in the next one year.

The national executive of the party resolved to call upon all democratic, socialist and secular forces along with the Janata Parivar and the Left parties to come together and fight the “fascist” inventions of the ruling party at the Centre.

New guard

New state executive: State president - H D Kumaraswamy; Working President - Basavaraj Horatti; Senior Vice President - B B Ningaiah; General Secretary - B M Farooq.

New core committee of state: Chairman - H D Kumaraswamy; Members - Basavaraj Horatti, Bandeppa Kashempur, B M Farooq, Madhu Bangarappa, B B Ningaiah, Venkatrao Nadagouda, Alkod Hanumanthappa, Sharada Poorya Nayak, G T Deve Gowda, T A Saravana and Srimant Patil.