Bengaluru: The JD(S) National Executive meeting held here yesterday coinciding with the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the formation of the party, unanimously decided to continue with the Party Supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda as the National President of the party and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) as the President of Karnataka State Unit.

Addressing press persons after the party’s National Executive  meeting at the party headquarters J.P. Bhavan in Bengaluru on Friday, JD(S) Legislature Party Leader in the Assembly C.B. Suresh Babu said that party Supremo H.D. Deve Gowda would continue as the National President of the party and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, also a former CM of Karnataka, as the State Unit President.

Pointing out that the meeting was equivocal in the continuance of HDK as the State Unit Chief, taking into account the current political scenario in the State, Suresh Babu said that the meeting also observed that the party will become more stronger under the able leadership of HDK. He further said that state JD(S) Youth Wing President Nikhil Kumaraswamy has been tasked with organising the party at the grass roots level across the State.

Earlier, former PM H.D. Deve Gowda, who spoke after inaugurating the Silver Jubilee celebration of the JD(S), expressed the hope that the party would return to power under the able leadership of H.D. Kumaraswamy.

“Just because Kumaraswamy is a Union Minister, it does not mean that the JD(S) is getting weak in the State. Though the party may have just 19 MLAs now, no one should forget that the party was able to get 20 percent of the votes polled in the last Assembly polls. The party will work hard for bagging more seats in the next polls. The leader who pulled down the JD(S)-headed Coalition Government by facilitating the defection of Legislators a few years ago, is now in the seat of power,” Deve Gowda said without taking the name of CM Siddaramaiah.

A photo expo on JD(S) was organised at the venue as part of the 2-day Silver Jubilee celebrations, which will conclude today.