4 dissidents skip Congress Legislature Party meeting in Karnataka

News Network
January 18, 2019

Bengaluru, Jan 18: Four dissidents skipped the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Bengaluru on January 18 that was called as a show of strength to counter the alleged bid by the BJP to topple the coalition government in Karnataka.

Their absence posed no imminent threat to the seven-month old Congress-JD(S) government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy but suggested that all was not well within the Congress, which has been hit by dissidence.

The party will issue notice to Ramesh Jarkiholi, B. Nagendra, Umesh Jadhav and Mahesh Kumatahalli, seeking an explanation from them for their absence, CLP leader Siddaramaiah said.

Briefing reporters after the CLP meeting, Mr. Siddaramaiah said after receiving the replies from the absentee lawmakers, the issue would be discussed with the party high command and State leaders before deciding on the next step.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said Mr. Jadhav had written saying that he would not be able to attend the meet as he was unwell, while Mr. Nagendra had spoken to AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal conveying his inability to attend because of a court case. The other two MLAs had not communicated anything. Mr. Jarkiholi was dropped as Minister in the recent cabinet reshuffle and is said to be extremely unhappy over it

Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Mr. Siddaramaiah, Mr. Venugopal and State leaders were present at the meeting.

'No threat to govt'

Ahead of the meeting, senior Congress leaders in Karnataka asserted there was no threat to the coalition government while hitting out at the BJP for making “futile attempts” to destabilise it, saying the saffron party’s conspiracy had been “exposed”.

“All are in contact, you cannot say that any one person is not in contact... you [media] had listed out the names of those who may switch from the party. Most of them have come, the others will also come,” Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Dinesh Gundu Rao said.

“Let whatever happen, there is no threat to this government. It will complete five years. The BJP is making futile attempts to destabilise the government,” he said.

Pointing out that the BJP had confined all its State MLAs to a hotel at Gurugram in Haryana, Mr. Rao said he felt “pity” for them. “There is no threat to this government... whatever they may try to do, the government cannot be toppled. The BJP’s conspiracy has been exposed. Wait and watch what will happen in the days to come.”

KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre said he had spoken to Mr. Jadhav, the Chincholi MLA who had allegedly planned to switch to the BJP. “He has told me that he will remain in the Congress... I have trust in him,” he added.

Both Mr. Rao and Mr. Khandre, however, evaded a direct response to a question about Mr. Jarkiholi, the Gokak MLA who has allegedly made up his mind to join the BJP.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Kumaraswamy met Mr. Venugopal in Bengaluru and held discussions on the developments. “They [the BJP leaders] will keep continuing with their ‘Operation Kamal’. I am not bothered about it. It is [State BJP chief] Yeddyurappa’s duty,” Mr. Kumaraswamy told reporters.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said he would not be available for two days and that he had a packed schedule, including a visit to Kolkata and personal programmes. He called on Mr. Venugopal as he would not be able to meet him during the period, he added.

Let them indulge in squabbles: Yeddyurappa

As the CLP was under way, Mr. Yeddyurappa said several legislators appeared to be attending the meet out of compulsion. “Let them indulge in squabbles... we have nothing to do with it.”

He said the ruling coalition was claiming the support of some BJP MLAs and it was because of this that the party had decided they should stay together in a hotel in Gurugram.

In the 224-member Assembly, the BJP has 104 members, Congress 79, JD(S) 37 and the BSP and the KPJP one each, besides and independent and the Speaker. The BSP is supporting the government.

The independent and the KPJP member (who is being treated as an indpendent as the party is not recognised) have announced withdrawal of their support to the government. Mr. Yeddyurappa has claimed that they are backing the BJP.

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News Network
March 17,2024

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Bengaluru: The Vokkaliga heartland of the old Mysuru region consisting of several southern districts will be the testing ground for the recently forged BJP-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka in the Lok Sabha polls.

The ruling Congress will now look to consolidate its gains that it made in the assembly elections in May last year when it made inroads into the strongholds of the regional party headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda in these districts.

In the 2019 Pariamentary elections, the Congress and JD(S) fought together but secured only one seat each in the state. The BJP bagged 25 out of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats.

The Congress and JD(S) win, in fact, came in the old Mysuru region -- Bangalore Rural and Hassan, respectively, while Mandya seat went to an independent backed by the BJP.

This time, the JD(S) has an alliance with BJP. According to sources, the JD(S) is likely to be alloted Hassan, Mandya and Kolar seats in the region, from where Deve Gowda's party draws its strength from in Karnataka.

The JD(S) is now looking to bounce back after the drubbing it received in the May assembly polls.

The Congress and JD(S) are considered to be traditional rivals in the region, where the BJP has also been improving its vote-share.

The BJP-JD(S) alliance hopes to counter the Congress' surge in the region, determined to consolidate Vokkaliga votes in their favour and banking on the Modi charisma. Both parties also hope to gain from each other with this alliance.

The Congress is hoping to further its prospects and continue its dominance in the region, with the help of its strong local leadership and riding on its five guarantee schemes.

Both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress state President D K Shivakumar, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister come from this region, and so does JD(S) patriarch Deve Gowda and his son H D Kumaraswamy, a former CM and that party's state President.

According to a political analyst, 'coordination among local leaders and transfer of votes between the parties are going to be key for the BJP-JD(S) alliance to click.' Lack of trust between sizeable workers and leaders of both parties on the ground had proved to be counterproductive for Congress and JD(S) combine in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, resulting in their rout and helping the BJP.

Both Congress and BJP have announced candidates for some seats in the region for the 2024 polls.

The Congress has re-nominated D K Suresh, brother of Shivakumar, from Bangalore Rural.

Interestingly, the BJP has fielded the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from Mysore and noted cardiac surgeon and Deve Gowda's son-in-law, Dr C N Manjunath, from Bangalore Rural.

In Karnataka, the Lok Sabha elections will be held in two phases on April 26 and May 7.

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News Network
March 27,2024

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Gokarna (Uttara Kannada): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said the Congress will decide about making him the Chief Minister in future, bringing to the fore again the issue of leadership change.

There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the Chief Minister's post after the Assembly election results in May last year, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the Deputy Chief Minister.

There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational Chief Minister formula," according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-half years but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.

During a temple visit here, a priest prayed that God's blessings may be showered on Shivakumar, and he became the Chief Minister.

Speaking to reporters here in Uttara Kannada district, Shivakumar, who has in the past made no secret of his ambition to become Chief Minister, amid speculations of change in guard mid-way of the Assembly term, responded to talk in some political circles about the leadership issue.

"What's wrong if a priest expresses his desire before God while praying? The priest has expressed his desire. Now Siddaramaiah is the Chief Minister, I'm working as Deputy Chief Minister under him, also as party's state President. People speak about it and desiring it (Shivakumar should become CM) is a different matter, it will be decided by our party," Shivakumar said.

"Now we are all working under the leadership of Siddaramaiah, and our desire is that the state should progress further under his leadership," he said.

"There will be people including supporters and priests, who pray for us, they will express their opinion. Can we stop them from doing it? At the temple it is between God and his disciple, they have expressed their feelings to God," Shivakumar added. 

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News Network
March 22,2024

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Bengaluru, Mar 22: An FIR has been registered against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya over a provocative hate post on social media, Election Commission officials said on Friday.

The move comes after a complaint filed by officials of the poll body and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) that the Bengaluru South MP, who is also the President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, had in a post apparently targeted a minority and spread enmity between two communities.

He also made a similar post on March 19 on X and YouTube which went viral. He has 1.3 million followers on X, thereby influencing the voters and disturbing the communal harmony between the communities, it further alleged.

Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered at Halasuru Gate police station on March 20 under sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 295 A (Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act, the officials said.

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