JD(S), BJP leaders meet, give new twist to crisis in Karnataka

Bengaluru: Amid the political crisis in the state following the resignation of several Congress and JD(S) MLAs, a meeting between a JD(S) minister, considered close to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, and senior BJP leaders at a guest house here on Thursday night set tongues wagging but both sides dismissed the meeting as “coincidental”.

Mr Kumaraswamy himself dismissed the meeting calling it “casual” adding that the Congress-JDS combine in the state was going strong despite the efforts to destabilise it.

It all happened after the 10 dissident MLAs appeared before Assembly Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar and submitted their resignations afresh, following the Supreme Court order. Several TV channels immediatelyl aired visuals showing  tourism minister Sa Ra Mahesh and BJP national general secretary Muralidhar Rao along with senior leader K.S. Eshwarappa coming out of the government guest house.