Nasheman News : Is all not well between JD(s) and Congress in Karnataka? BJP is keeping a close watch Karnataka Minister and senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar said the BJP’s ”Operation Lotus” to topple the state’s coalition government was for real, alleging that three Congress MLAs were camping in a hotel in Mumbai in the “company of some BJP leaders”.”Horse trading is going on in the state.
Three of our MLAs are in Mumbai in a hotel with some BJP MLAs and leaders. We are aware of what has transpired there and how much has been offered to them,” he said.Operation Lotus is a reference to the BJP allegedly luring several opposition MLAs to defect to ensure the stability of its then-government headed by BS Yeddyurappa in Karnataka in 2008.Shivakumar, who had earned the reputation of being a “trouble-shooter” in the Congress for bailing out the party from many crises in the past, accused Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of being “lenient” towards the BJP.”Our chief minister is a bit lenient towards the BJP. By ”lenient”, I mean he is not exposing the facts he knows.
All the MLAs have conveyed to the chief minister about the ongoing conspiracies. They have also told Siddaramaiah about it.”The chief minister is adopting a policy of wait and watch. If I was in his place, I would have exposed it within 24 hours,” Shivakumar said.The minister said former chief minister Siddaramaiah and Congress state president Dinesh Gundu Rao were aware of the development.Shivakumar, however, exuded confidence that the BJP would not succeed in its attempt.”You have been saying that a ”kranti” (revolution) may happen after Makar Sankranti. Let us see. It is not so easy because there is already anti-defection law in place, but we are aware of what you are hinting at,” he said in an apparent reference to the opposition BJP in the state.
The minister also wondered why the income tax department and the anti-corruption bureau failed to initiate any action on a complaint by Dinesh Gundu Rao on the matter.
Many Congress MLAs in the Karnataka have alleged that they were approached by the BJP leaders to quit their party and join them.The BJP has trashed the charges.In the meantime Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy appears unhappy with Congress and said that the party shouldn’t treat JD-S as third grade citizens.
As Karnataka’s ruling coalition constituents Congress and JD-S get down to brass tacks for the Lok Sabha polls, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said his party should not be treated as “third grade citizens” and that both the partners adopt a “give and take policy” to put up a united fight against the BJP.With the coalition partners expected to hold talks on the tricky seat-sharing issue amid pressure within the Congress not to cede much to Janata Dal (Secular), Kumaraswamy stressed there should not be any “pettiness” on both sides.In an interview to media, the chief minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma was “fading” with growing anti-incumbency, and pitched for Congress president Rahul Gandhi for the top job while also admitting that there was a lack of consensus among anti-BJP parties on choosing Gandhi.
As his government completed seven months in office, the JD(S) leader downplayed reports of contradictions within the coalition and said he would overcome all the “bitterness” smoothly.”Both of us (Congress-JD(S)) should go together (in Lok Sabha polls) is our opinion. Because the reason behind forming this government (in Karnataka) is to stop the BJP from coming to power and improve the atmosphere in the country…”
Kumaraswamy said when asked whether the JD(S) would go it alone if seat-sharing talks fail.He said after the formation of the coalition government in the southern state, a lot of changes had taken place in the country’s political landscape, including BJP’s downslide and Congress victory in some bypolls and assembly elections in three states. “…in my opinion, if Congress loses its way and tries to move with overconfidence, what will happen they will understand, with their past political experience, I do not think they will forget them.”They should treat us respectfully. They should not treat us as third-grade citizens. There should be given and take policy,” Kumaraswamy said.The JD(S) has demanded 12 out of 28 seats for the Lok Sabha polls, to which the Congress has expressed its reservations. In the 2014 polls, BJP had won 17 seats in the state, Congress 9 and JD(S) 2 seats.
With Agencies
