The Karnataka government is facing a challenge with finalising the names of Congress candidates to be included in the expansion of the newly formed coalition.

Siddaramaiah has said the party will take a decision of inclusion of candidates and expansion on Thursday, already waves of dissent has started hitting them, making them more cautious in their entire operation.  Kumaraswamy has been invited to attend the meeting.

In a significant political development on Tuesday a powerful Congress leader from the Belagavi and MLA  Satish Jarkiholi who turned a rebel to the Congress leadership has openly said that many MLAs in the party are unhappy and party leadership is trying to convince them. This has sent shock waves and the Congress and JD(S) leaders which include Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, powerful lobbyist and Congress strongman DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in consultation with JD(S) supremo HD Devegowda have been trying to douse the fire.

“Some of them are not happy. They may not be 25 to 30 in numbers but there are 6 to 7 of them. MLAs are unhappy and our leadership is convincing them,” Jarkiholi said.

“The opposition party is trying since the beginning to form the government by the support of Congress legislators by horse-trading the MLAs, but as of now, there are only 6-7 MLAs who are unhappy and we will convince them.” He added.

Jarkiholi also said that he, however, is not leaving the party and claimed to be more powerful than many ministers.

“I had a word with our president Dinesh Gundu Rao on this issue. The high command is active and our State leadership is working on it,” he said. “They are not going anywhere and especially I am not going to any party or anywhere else. I am much powerful than some ministers but I have asked for one more ministerial post for Belgaum district. Let us wait and see, everything will be cleared soon,” he added.

Meanwhile BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa has got into a rejuvenating centre in Kerala for his pain in the hand amidst all these developments.   Even if BJP poaches 7 to 8 MLAs can destabilise the present coalition government ahead of 2019 elections.

In May this year, the election result for 222 out of 224 assembly constituencies of Karnataka had resulted in a fractured mandate, with the Bharatiya Janata Party emerging as the single largest party with 104 seats, only nine seats short of the simple majority mark of 113. However, the Congress party with 78 seats and JD(S) with 37 seats, along with two independent candidates, stitched up a post-poll alliance with a total of 117 MLAs.

In another related political development an audio-clip containing an alleged conversation between a confidant of a former Bellary BJP MP  B Sriramulu and a Dubai-based businessman has triggered allegations of attempts being made by the BJP to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition Government in Karnataka. However Sriramulu strongly refuted the charges and blamed the Congress hatching a conspiracy to  defame the BJP.

In the audio, which has gone viral, the confidant is allegedly saying at least 10 to 11 lawmakers from the Congress and JD(S) were ready to switch sides with specific names being mentioned.

“They have been offered Rs 20 crore to Rs 25 crore and ministership. By the second week it has to happen,” the confidant is allegedly saying in the audio.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and the convener of the Congress-JD(S) coordination committee Siddaramaiah hit out at the BJP for its alleged attempts to dislodge the Government.

Slamming the BJP, Siddaramaiah said, “Where will they get the money if they are saying that they will pay Rs 25 crore (to each MLA)? Whose money it is? It is  corrupt money. Aren’t they ashamed for trying to topple the Government? This Government will continue despite their attempts.”

BJP general secretary N Ravi Kumar termed the audio “bogus” and said the Congress and JD(S) have been depending upon creating such “fictitious audios” for their survival.

Writer: Kestur Vasuki

Courtesy: The Pioneer

The Karnataka government is facing a challenge with finalising the names of Congress candidates to be included in the expansion of the newly formed coalition.

Siddaramaiah has said the party will take a decision of inclusion of candidates and expansion on Thursday, already waves of dissent has started hitting them, making them more cautious in their entire operation.  Kumaraswamy has been invited to attend the meeting.

In a significant political development on Tuesday a powerful Congress leader from the Belagavi and MLA  Satish Jarkiholi who turned a rebel to the Congress leadership has openly said that many MLAs in the party are unhappy and party leadership is trying to convince them. This has sent shock waves and the Congress and JD(S) leaders which include Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, powerful lobbyist and Congress strongman DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in consultation with JD(S) supremo HD Devegowda have been trying to douse the fire.

“Some of them are not happy. They may not be 25 to 30 in numbers but there are 6 to 7 of them. MLAs are unhappy and our leadership is convincing them,” Jarkiholi said.

“The opposition party is trying since the beginning to form the government by the support of Congress legislators by horse-trading the MLAs, but as of now, there are only 6-7 MLAs who are unhappy and we will convince them.” He added.

Jarkiholi also said that he, however, is not leaving the party and claimed to be more powerful than many ministers.

“I had a word with our president Dinesh Gundu Rao on this issue. The high command is active and our State leadership is working on it,” he said. “They are not going anywhere and especially I am not going to any party or anywhere else. I am much powerful than some ministers but I have asked for one more ministerial post for Belgaum district. Let us wait and see, everything will be cleared soon,” he added.

Meanwhile BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa has got into a rejuvenating centre in Kerala for his pain in the hand amidst all these developments.   Even if BJP poaches 7 to 8 MLAs can destabilise the present coalition government ahead of 2019 elections.

In May this year, the election result for 222 out of 224 assembly constituencies of Karnataka had resulted in a fractured mandate, with the Bharatiya Janata Party emerging as the single largest party with 104 seats, only nine seats short of the simple majority mark of 113. However, the Congress party with 78 seats and JD(S) with 37 seats, along with two independent candidates, stitched up a post-poll alliance with a total of 117 MLAs.

In another related political development an audio-clip containing an alleged conversation between a confidant of a former Bellary BJP MP  B Sriramulu and a Dubai-based businessman has triggered allegations of attempts being made by the BJP to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition Government in Karnataka. However Sriramulu strongly refuted the charges and blamed the Congress hatching a conspiracy to  defame the BJP.

In the audio, which has gone viral, the confidant is allegedly saying at least 10 to 11 lawmakers from the Congress and JD(S) were ready to switch sides with specific names being mentioned.

“They have been offered Rs 20 crore to Rs 25 crore and ministership. By the second week it has to happen,” the confidant is allegedly saying in the audio.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and the convener of the Congress-JD(S) coordination committee Siddaramaiah hit out at the BJP for its alleged attempts to dislodge the Government.

Slamming the BJP, Siddaramaiah said, “Where will they get the money if they are saying that they will pay Rs 25 crore (to each MLA)? Whose money it is? It is  corrupt money. Aren’t they ashamed for trying to topple the Government? This Government will continue despite their attempts.”

BJP general secretary N Ravi Kumar termed the audio “bogus” and said the Congress and JD(S) have been depending upon creating such “fictitious audios” for their survival.

Writer: Kestur Vasuki

Courtesy: The Pioneer