Congress jittery over Operation Lotus - Shivakumar confirms being aware

Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 14: State Congress leaders, who are grappling with dissidence on account of several legislators having been disgruntled over not getting ministerial berths or posts of heads of boards and corporations, are worried about the news that BJP would be trying to topple the government through Operation Lotus after Sankranti festival. The leadership therefore has been making all out efforts to keep in touch with all its legislators to see that they remain with the party.

There were rumours of Sadalaga MLA, Ganesh Hukkeri, having decided to leave the Congress. But Hukkeri quelled the notion by immediately confirming on twitter that there were no such plans. There was talk of Chincholi MLAa, Umesh Jadhav, having decided to leave the party. The Congress leaders, who were trying to establish contact with Jadhav, could not do so. This has given them a reason for worry as it is said that BJP is trying to convince Jadhav, who is unhappy at not being offered ministerial position, to join the saffron party, as it wants to field him as the party candidate opposite Congress leader, Mallikarjun Kharge, in the Lok Sabha election.

D K Shivakumar

Ramesh Jarkiholi's continued defiance has given another reason for the Congress to worry as he has become incommunicado. The party has been in regular touch with certain MLAs said to be loyal to Jarkiholi and keeping them in good humour and dissuading them from following their leader. Leader of Congress legislature party, Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dinesh Gundu Rao, water resources minster, D K Shivakumar etc have been contacting these leaders regularly to see that they remain with the Congress. In spite of the best efforts, it is said, in addition to Ramesh Jarkiholi, independent MLA, R Shankar, and Congress MLA, Nagendra, have remained non-committal about their future plans.

It is said that Ramesh Jarkiholi has been pressurizing some MLAs to follow him out of the party, but some of the legislators like Mahantesh Kaujalagi from Bailahongala, B Narayana Rao from Basavakalyan, and Maski MLA, Pratap Gowda Patil, have promised Jarkiholi to support his effort to get justice only if he remains with the Congress. It is said that Kampli MLA, Ganesh, has confirmed to Shivakumar that he would remain with the party. A few of the MLAs loyal to Jarkiholi have assured him to follow him only if he is able to put together requisite number of legislators to unseat the government.

Water resources minister, D K Shivakumar, in the meanwhile, has accused BJP of resorting to horse trading to get Congress MLAs to support that party. He said that three MLAs are already in Mumbai. "I would not like to disclose whether BJP legislators are supporting my party or our party MLAs are supporting the BJP. Everything will become clear in a few days. If I disclose names of legislators it would harm them," he added, speaking to media persons on Sunday January 13. He noted that a few MLAs have confirmed having been lured to join BJP. "We will make everything public with documentary proof," he stated.