Kumaraswamy to remain JD-S leader

Janata Dal-Secular members in the Karnataka assembly Thursday decided that H.D. Kumaraswamy should continue as their leader in the house.

The son former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda had submitted the resignation from the position after the JD-S was routed in the bypolls to two Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The decision was taken at a day-long meeting of JD-S legislators at a posh resort on Bangalore's outskirts.

"The meeting decided not to accept Kumaraswamy's resignation and he will continue to lead the party in the assembly," JD-S leader and member of the legislative council M.C. Nanaiah told reporters.

JD-S candidates lost the Aug 21 by-election from Bangalore Rural and Mandya Lok Sabha seats. The Congress bagged both the constituencies considered JD-S bastions.

Both the JD-S and Bharatiya Janata Party have 40 members each in the 225-member assembly that includes one nominated member.

But JD-S is the recognized opposition party as it polled more votes than BJP in the May 5 assembly election which brought the Congress to power with 122 seats.