The division of Janata Dal traces the establishment of many political parties in India. Its split in to many political groups gave to Indian political atmosphere a new look. The Janata Dal (secular) is also an offshoot of the division of Janata Dal. Janata Dal (secular) is a regional political party in southern Indian state of Karnataka where the root of the party lies. The party was constituted following a conflict in the Janata Dal in the year 1999 when the former prime minister of India H. D. Deve Gowda gave up Jayaprakash Narayans Janata Dal and formed his own political party in the same year called Janata Dal (secular).
A regional political party, the Janata Dal (Secular) is better known as the JD (S). The name translates to People’s Party (Secular) in English. The party is prominent in the state of Karnataka in Southern India. It is also a presence in the neighbouring state of Kerala. In recent years, it has made its presence felt at the centre. The symbol of the party is the woman farmer.
The JD(S) had a lacklustre beginning at the polls. In the 1999 elections to the Karnataka state legislative assembly, it won only 10 of the 203 seats it contested in the 224-member chamber. The party fared much better five years later, when it garnered 58 seats in the assembly. It then entered into an alliance with Congress (thus repudiating its policy against collaboration) to form the first-ever coalition government in the state. Congress’s Dharam Singh served as chief minister (head of the government).
Janata Dal (Secular) is dedicated to the task of building up ademocratic, secular and socialist State of India on Gandhian principles,drawing inspiration from our rich heritage and the noble traditions of our struggle for national independence and individual liberty. The Party believes in a polity that ensures decentralisation of economic and political power. It affirms the right of peaceful and democratic dissent,which includes satyagi aha or non-violent resistance.JD(S) in Karnataka state for a time governed in a coalition with the Indian National Congress (INC) party, the first coalition government in Karnataka. There was much controversy over the JD(S) allying with the INC in Bangalore as the INC formerly had an outright majority and was diminished to second place with the BJP having a plurality. However, the JD(S) considered INC to be the lesser of the two evils on account of its erstwhile secular and center left credentials.
The JD(S) remained a small player on the national political scene, in spite of its past alliances with Congress and the BJP in Karnataka. It was, however, a key constituent of the so-called “Third Front” grouping of leftist and left-leaning political parties. The party won one seat in the 1999 elections to the Lok Sabha (lower chamber of the Indian parliament), three each in the 2004 and 2009 polls, and two in the 2014 contest.
The coalition came to an abrupt end when H.D. Kumaraswamy refused to step down as chief minister. Since then coalition governments have been formed by the BJP and the Congress, but without the JD (S).In 2015, the JD (S) along with other parties such as Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Janata Dal (United) and the Samajwadi Party decided to quit the UPA and form a new national alliance which is known as the Janata Parivar alliance. The purpose of this alliance is to oppose the BJP.
The Election Symbol of the Janata Dal (Secular), as approved by the Election Commission of India, is "A Lady Farmer Carrying Paddy on her Head." This is a significant symbol as it represents what the party stands for. The tagline of the party is "United by Value, Driven by Faith." The JD (S) believes that there should be equal opportunities for all citizens of the country, by focusing on building a 'community that lasts.' Irrespective of caste, creed, class, race, ethnicity, sex or religion, the JD (S) believes in propagating the true values of Gandhian socialism and the rich heritage of the freedom struggle of India. The ushering of individual liberty by the coming in of Indian independence is carried forward by the JD (S).
Contact Details
Official Website of JD (S): http://jds.ind.in/
Head-Office Address of JD (S): No.5, Safdarjung Lane, New Delhi -110003 Contact Numbers: 011-23794499, 23794431
Email id: itwing@jds.ind.in, jdsmediacenter@gmail.com, jdsecular2013@gmail.com