From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Feb 6: The ruling Congress party has warned that all those legislators who fail to attend a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Friday (February 8), will be disqualified from the membership of the House.
The warning follows the absence of as many 10 MLAs, including 2 Independents who had withdrawn support to the H D Kumaraswamy-led JD(S)-Congress coalition government, abstained from the Governor VajubhaiVala in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister H D Kumarawamy will table the State budget on Friday.
CLP leader Siddaramaiah
While there is intense speculation over the resumption of BJP’s 'Operation Kamala' to pull down the coalition regime ahead of the budget, the Chief Minister exuded confidence on successfully weathering the storm and going ahead with the presentation of the budget for the year 2019-20.
The Congress party’s warning came following absence of six Congress MLAs on the first day of the budget session of the State Legislative Assembly, which began here Wednesday on a ruckus note. Apart from six, four others including 2 independents were also absent.
The party has issued a whip on Wednesday directing all Congress legislators attend the session from February 6 to 15.
Six Congress MLAs, including four who had skipped the January 18 CLP meeting, did not attend session on Wednesday.
The absenting MLAs are Ramesh Jarakiholi (Gokak), Mahesh Kumatalli (Athani), B Nagendra (Ballari Rural), Umesh Jadhav (Chincholi), B C Patil (Hirekerur), and J N Ganesh (Kampli).
Two independents, former Forest Minister R Shankar and H Nagesh, who withdrew support to the Kumaraswamy government on January 15, also skipped the session.
On Wednesday, the Congress party issued a whip to all MLAs of the ruling JDS - Congress coalition to be present in the assembly on all days of the budget session.
The whip was seen as an attempt by the ruling coalition to spoil plans of disgruntled Congress MLAs on the radar of BJP to stay away from the Assembly session and pose a threat to the stability of the coalition government.
Speaking at the party’s meet here, former Chief Minister and CLP leader Siddaramaiah said the party would write to Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar urging him to disqualify those who did not turn up to the meeting on Friday.
According to Siddaramaiah, the BJP has been attempting to poach 25-30 Congress MLAs by offering cash crore of rupees.