Bengaluru, Jan 17: The BJP in Karnataka suffered a loss of face on Wednesday after its efforts to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition government failed with many of the disgruntled Congress MLAs developing cold feet at the last moment and not succumbing to the saffron party’s Operation Lotus.
This is the BJP’s second failed attempt in the last seven months to form a government in Karnataka. The BJP had planned to make around 12-15 Congress MLAs resign and form the government. Accordingly, it had hoarded its MLAs in a resort in Gurgaon besides shifting four Congress MLAs to Mumbai and other places.
Disgruntled Congress MLAs LBP Bheema Naik, Pratapgouda Patil, Amaregouda Bayyapur and JN Ganesh, who were incommunicado for the last three-four days, came out of their hiding and announced that they will continue in Congress. "I had been to Goa with friends. I am not joining BJP though they have been pestering me," said Naik after meeting AICC general secretary KC Venugopal at Kumarakrupa guest house here on Wednesday afternoon.
However, Ramesh Jarakiholi, leader of the rebel MLAs will continue to stay in Mumbai along with his close confidante Athani MLA Mahesh Kumatalli and Ballari rural MLA B Nagendra. Two independent MLAs R Shankar and H Nagesh are also said to be with them. This has given some hope to the BJP.
Upbeat by the development, former CM Siddaramaiah has convened the Congress legislature party meeting to demonstrate unity of MLAs on January 18. According to a highly placed source, the party will issue show cause notices to MLAs who stay away from the meeting and suspend them as first step to initiate legal battle.
Meanwhile, the BJP MLAs, who have been camping in a resort in Gurgaon for the last two days hoping for a ‘good news’ are expected to return home empty handed on Thursday. However, state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa, former minister V Somanna and three party MLAs from Tumakuru district were on their way to Bengaluru to visit ailing Siddaganga Mutt seer Shivakumar Swami.
The Congress -JD(S) leaders who appeared to be on the back foot on Tuesday after two independent MLAs withdrew support, in a swift overnight action managed to win back majority of the disgruntled MLAs.
Realising the seriousness of the situation, it is said that chief minister HD Kumaraswamy himsef took charge of the talks and with the help of Congress leaders Siddaramaiah, MB Patil, DK Shivakumar, BZ Zameer Ahmed and KJ George struck a deal with the rebels. The talks included both ‘persuasion’ as well as ‘warning’ on how the legal hurdles will defeat the BJP in the number game and how the rebels will be left in the lurch.
A source in Congress said the deal included that rebel MLAs will have a final say in transfers and other matters related to their constituencies and no minister or official will come in their way. "As far as their main demand for cabinet berth is concerned, they have been asked to wait till an appropriate time," said a senior Congress leader.
Jarkiholi still sulking?
Though most of the rebels have returned, there is no clarity yet on whether former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, the mastermind of the rebellion, will patch up with the Congress or not. Along with Ramesh, his confidante and Athani MLA Mahesh Kumatalli and Ballari Rural MLA B Nagendra are still camping in Mumbai.
Ramesh is said to be in no mood to patch up as he is feeling insulted after his removal from the cabinet and also constant interference of Shivakumar in Belagavi politics. The CM is said to have assured Ramesh that he would personally ensure that there would be no repeat of such things in future.
"Ramesh and Nagendra will also remain with the Congress and you will see them in the Congress legislature party meeting on January 18," said KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao.
Failed plot
Operation Lotus has failed. It’s a slap on the face of the BJP which has been trying to topple the government by illegal means. The Congress will protest against BJP all over the state, said AICC general secretary and Karnataka in-charge, KC Venugopal.
BJP leaders don’t believe in the Constitution. Yeddyurappa is 77 years old but seems to have no wisdom. Why is he holding his MLAs in Haryana? He should explain it to the people, charged former chief minister Siddaramaiah.
The BJP, which failed to poach four Congress/JD(S) corporators in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, is trying to lure MLAs to topple the state government. It doesn’t know that we (Congress) are specialists in one-day matches. We’ll finish it off in one day, said urban development minister, UT Khader.
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