Bengaluru: Hitting back at JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda for having ousted them from the party, expelled JD(S) leaders on Monday claimed that they are the real JD(S), with C.K. Nanu of Kerala as the National President of the party.

The rebel faction of the JD(S), led by former Union Minister C.M. Ibrahim held a National Executive meeting at Kadugondanahalli in Bengaluru on Monday, during which C.K. Nanu, Kerala JD(S) Chief was named as the National President.

Telangana JD(S) Unit chief Soori declared that Nanu was unanimously elected as the new party National President.

Ibrahim who addressed the meeting, said Nanu was elected unanimously as the new National President of JD(S). He has been selected as per the resolution passed by the party’ s National Executive, he added.

Nanu, in his address, said “in the past, we were along with H.D. Deve Gowda. But now Deve Gowda has expelled me. The party stands on Gandhian principles of secularism. I would like to ask the former PM whether it is correct to go along with the party that is opposed to secularism” and that he would strongly condemn Deve Gowda’s action of going with BJP.