Bengaluru: The presence of former minister and BJP legislator Goolihatti Shekar at a dinner hosted by water resources minister D.K. Shivakumar for senior party colleagues on Tuesday triggered speculation over whether the Congress would launch 'Operation Hasta' to lure MLAs of Opposition party.
Mr Shekar, who made headlines by ripping his shirt off in protest against Speaker K.G. Bopaiah's decision to deny him an opportunity to vote against Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa in 2010, attend the dinner hosted in a post hotel last night.
Some Congress leaders maintained that Mr Shivakumar might resort to poaching of BJP legislators. A few others, however, said Mr Shivakumar met Mr Shekar to mend fences with the latter.
"Mr Shekar had asked a question on purchase of power during the last five years. Though Mr Shivakumar, the power minister than, had said that he maintained transparency while taking decisions, some feel releasing details might create a political controversy. So, Mr Shivakumar who held the energy portfolio in the previous government headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, evidently decided to reach out to Mr Shekar and other BJP MLAs to keep them in "good humour," sources in Congress said.
Meanwhile, Mr Shekar told the media on Wednesday that he was not aware of the dinner but visited the hotel to meet Mr Sudhakar. "I went to meet Mr Sudhakar who took me there. I was there hardly for 15-20 minutes. I did not even discuss political issues," Mr Shekar said adding that he had to work hard to win the recent Assembly elections and therefore would not betray the party.
Mr Shekar might not be in a position to win the elections on a Congress ticket, a BJP leader said adding that he might switch sides or back the Congress despite being a BJP MLA.
