BENGALURU: In a move to counter attempts to poach its MLAs by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka which could lead to destabilise the Congress led State Government in coming days, the Congress party leaders could induct a few disgruntled BJP MLAs into the party particularly those leaders who were once with the Congress party before they switched sides. It is said that Congress would induct BJP MLAs in phases.
In the past, BJP successfully poached a few MLAs of JDS and Congress party and formed its government in Karnataka once in 2008 and then in 2019. In the current Karnataka assembly, 135 MLAs are from Congress party, 66 of them are from BJP, 19 from JDS and four independents.
Making things clear, Minister for Agriculture N. Chaluvarayaswamy on Friday revealed that discussions are on to induct MLAs from JDS and BJP into the Congress party but he did not disclose on the legislators ready to switch their loyalties. Chaluvarayaswamy told reporters that “You will come to know MLAs willing to join Congress and their numbers as well.”
The reason why the Congress party is keen on induction of MLAs from other parties despite having a clear majority in the assembly, it is said that Deputy Chief Minister and president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee D.K. Shivakumar is keen on increasing the tally of Congress MLAs and bringing some of the leaders who have joined BJP a couple of years back, fearing that BJP might resort to poaching Congress MLAs and destabilize the Karnataka government in coming days.
Now, there are speculations that BJP MLA representing Yeshawantha MLA and former minister S.T. Somashekar, another former minister and BJP MLA representing Yellapur assembly seat Shivaram Hebbar, Mahalakshmi Layout MLA and former minister Gopalaiah, KR Puram MLA Byrathi Basavaraj and RR Nagar MLA and former minister Munirathna keen to join Congress party.
But Shivakumar said “The matter of other party MLAs joining Congress hasn’t come to my notice yet” but stated that “Nothing is permanent in politics.” However, Minister for Home Dr G. Parameshwar said that the party would accept leaders from other parties if they resigned as MLAs and accepted the Congress ideology. Parameshwar said “It is not poaching if MLAs of other parties resign as MLAs.”
Disgruntled BJP MLAs Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar expressed displeasure and said that the problem was in their respective assembly constituencies since certain leaders in their respective assembly seats tried to defeat them in the assembly election held in May this year.
While Shivaram Hebbar said that he has brought to the notice of the senior party leaders to set things right, Gopalaiah denied that he would not quit BJP and attempts have been made to tarnish his image.
It is said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah objected to joining Byrathi Basavaraj, once a close aide of Siddaramaiah, to Congress since Basavaraju resigned as Congress MLA in 2019 to join BJP.
Likewise, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar opposed the re-joining of Munirathna and senior party leader R.V. Deshpande opposed Shivaram Hebbar’s return to the Congress party.
BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol expressed confidence that none of the BJP MLAs would quit BJP to join Congress since the ruling party has failed to deliver goods for the people since coming to power three months back. Karjol stated that “BJP MLAs would not commit a mistake by quitting the party.”
