Congress shifts 76 MLAs to resort as BJP continues Operation Kamala efforts

Bengaluru, Jan 19: Karnataka’s political crisis has worsened as a jittery Congress shifted its legislators to a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru to keep a leash on a disgruntled bunch who may have swerved towards the BJP following the Congress Legislature Party meeting yesterday.

All 76 legislators who attended the CLP meeting chaired by its leader Siddaramaiah were ferried in two buses from Vidhana Soudha. Of the 80 legislators, four did not show up — Ramesh Jarkiholi, B Nagendra, Mahesh Kumathalli and Umesh Jadhav.

They will get notices seeking an explanation, Siddaramaiah said.

According to sources, at least eight Congress MLAs have committed to the BJP, forcing the party to move them to a resort to keep its flock together. In case the eight Congress MLAs resign, the 118-member Congress-JD(S) coalition will be reduced to a minority.

“All our MLAs and MPs will be kept together in one place to escape the onslaught by the BJP. We will be (in the resort) for as long as it takes,” Siddaramaiah told reporters. “No MLA of ours will join the BJP, but we are moving them to one place as a precaution.” The Congress is desperate to save its coalition with the JD(S) going into the Lok Sabha elections.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s 34-member Cabinet has 22 Congress ministers. Now, more than half of Karnataka’s Cabinet will spend the weekend in the resort. Not just that, members of the principal Opposition party will also extend their stay at a luxury hotel in Gurugram.