In Karnataka, BJP commences groundwork to topple JD(S)-Congress government

Bengaluru, May 27: Buoyed by a stupendous performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the BS Yeddyurappa-led BJP in Karnataka appears to have begun the spade work to topple the year-old JD(S)-Congress government in the state.

This was evident on Sunday when disgruntled Congress legislators Ramesh Jarkiholi and K Sudhakar accompanied by BJP leader and former deputy CM R Ashoka met BJP leader SM Krishna at his residence in Bengaluru.

The meeting took place at the same time that Mandya MP-elect Sumalatha Ambareesh, with BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa, visited the senior Vokkaliga leader to thank him for supporting her in Mandya.

This has come at a time just when the coalition government is struggling to keep afloat following a dismal performance in the elections.

It also set off speculation that a dozen disgruntled Congress and JD(S) MLAs may resign this week to reduce the strength of ruling coalition partners in the assembly and enable the BJP to seek a floor test. However, both Congress MLAs clarified that the meeting was just a courtesy call.

"It was not a political meeting. We wanted to wish Krishnaji on BJP's stupendous performance in the Lok Sabha polls. I was an MLA even when Krishna was CM from 1999 to 2004 and we share good rapport. So only I visited to inquire about his health. That is why we met him," Jarkiholi said.

"We had nothing to discuss, we just wanted to wish him," Sudhakar said. "He is a senior leader and he was a former Congress leader that's why we felt that we must wish him on his party's success."

While Yeddyurappa deemed it a coincidence, Ashoka said he visited Krishna at the latter's residence to discuss party-related matters. "I have no friendship with Congress leaders Ramesh and Sudhakar," he said.

Miffed over being dropped from the coalition cabinet, Jarkiholi has been at the forefront of a growing group of disgruntled Congress MLAs. Sudhakar, who was denied chairmanship of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board after being appointed, has time and again dropped hints that he will quit the Congress.

BJP is the single largest party with 105 members in the 225 member assembly, while the ruling coalition has 117 members with 79 legislators from Congress, 37 from JD(S) and 1 from BSP. The Congress-JD(S) coalition is placed precariously now after BJP won the assembly seat of Chincholi in the recently concluded bypoll, taking its tally to 105 in the House.