Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 26: Following the debacle in the Lok Sabha elections, the JD(S) leadership has issued a circular to party members barring them from participating in TV debates and even speaking to the press.

The circular is especially significant in the wake of reports about the already troubled Congress-JD(S) coalition further weakening after BJP scored a landslide win in the elections, even though leaders of both parties have put up a united front before the media and sworn allegiance to chief minister H D Kumaraswamy.

The circular was issued by JD(S) working president M S Narayan Rao asking party leaders, spokespersons and legislators to not participate in TV debates or give any statements to the media.

It may be mentioned here that in the days leading to the elections, and even until the counting day, chief minister Kumaraswamy had slammed the media over the coverage of his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy who contested from Mandya and ultimately lost. The CM had repeatedly threatened to boycott the media. The latest gag order on the party members hence comes as no suprise.

Earlier, JD(S) MLAs B C Patil and Lingappa laid the blame squarely on the coalition partners for the party's poor show in the elections.

The BJP has won 25 out of 28 parliamentary seats in Karnataka, while only one seat each was bagged by Congress, JD(S), and independent candidate Sumalatha who is backed by the BJP.

Congress heavyweights including Rizwan Arshad, Krishna Byregowda, B K Hariprasad, Mallikarjun Kharge, as well as JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda lost from their respective constituencies against the BJP candidates.

Earlier, taking the moral responsibility for the Congress party's humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, the party's campaign committee chairman H K Patil had resigned from his post.