Congress draws up strategy to win old Mysuru back

Bengaluru: Is the Congress promising Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to back him while quietly scripting his downfall to cut the Janat Dal(S)' vote share in Old Mysore region?

Sources in Congress said they don't want the CM  to delay his resignation and whip up sympathy for himself and his party as this would prevent the Congress from regaining the support of Vokkaligas. An emotional appeal to Vokkaligas along with his decision to step down would help the CM retain his hold over voters in strongholds of JD (S).

Congress also believes that if HDK decides against quitting, the infighting in Congress would gather pace and ultimately result in collapse of the government. With that, CLP leader Siddaramaiah has a fallback plan to wean away JD (S) legislators, leaving Mr Kumaraswamy with no supporters, sources revealed.   

Sources said the Congress does not give the coalition much time. "A chain of dissent has been set off in our party from day one. Even if we replace existing cabinet ministers with disgruntled leaders, what is the guarantee that there will be no dissent in the days ahead? This will be an ideal time for others to aspire for cabinet berths by launching an attack on incumbent ministers. If minorities' leader, R. Roshan Baig, is accommodated what is the guarantee that N. A. Harris or minister B. Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan will not turn rebels? This is the case with legislators of every other community in our party. So at present, the Congress is biding time to rejig its plans before the collapse of the coalition. If we get four or five months’ and HDK does not resign, we will ensure that we secure the position of leader of Opposition in the next Assembly,” said sources, of the plan to bring Congress back into government.

A BJP leader, however, believes Mr Kumaraswamy plans to stoke sympathy by announcing his decision to quit, hoping to draw back Vokkaligas who failed to ensure the victory of his father and party president H D Deve Gowda and his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy in constituencies which are part of Old Mysore region.