Bengaluru: The political developments in Karnataka are taking new turns every day. After chief minister H D Kumaraswamy’s open threat to the BJP that he may have to ask the public to rise against its “unconstitutional” methods to topple his government, the main opposition party in the state is planning to use the same to put him in the dock. Kumaraswamy and BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa have declared an open war against each other, triggering a political storm.
The state BJP leaders have approached Governor Vajubhai Vala, complaining that the chief minister is inciting the people to go on a rampage and he should be dismissed for openly disobeying the law despite holding a high constitutional post. Some unconfirmed reports claim that the governor has already sent a report to the Centre and is awaiting further instructions from New Delhi.
Speaking to News18, senior BJP leader and MP Shobha Karandlaje warned Kumaraswamy of serious consequences if he does not stop provoking the people to save his government. “Despite being the chief minister, he incites people. Asks them to go on rampage. Yesterday, some goons in the garb of political party workers had attacked Yeddyurappa’s house. Our MLAs saved him. It is shocking,” she said.
The Karnataka unit of the BJP also accused Kumaraswamy of asking his supporters to go on 'riots' in the state. They slammed the chief minister for being the 'only politician in the history of the nation' to give such a call, which could pose a threat to national security.
Kumaraswamy is probably the only politician in history of this nation who openly asked his supporters to go on riots in the state of Karnataka. Such politicians are a disgrace to this state & threat to national security. @CPBlr should register suo Moto case on Kumaraswamy & act.— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) September 20, 2018
According to the insiders, the BJP is still trying to poach the JDS and Congress MLAs and once their number crosses 20, all of them will resign at one go, bringing down the strength of the coalition to 98 from current 118. The BJP has 104 MLAs in the 224 member Assembly. There are two vacant seats.
Alarmed by the swift developments, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has asked his Karnataka leaders to save the coalition government at any cost by keeping the flock together.
The top party leaders, led by former chief minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao, held an emergency meeting in Bengaluru on Friday. According to their aides, they discussed the party strategy to prevent the MLAs from switching sides.
Dinesh Gundurao alleged that the desperate BJP is offering crores of rupees and various political positions to JDS and Congress MLAs to defect. He even blamed a section of the media for creating political uncertainty in Karnataka by “manufacturing” news at the behest of BJP.
In the meantime, the JDS has decided to hold a meeting of all its 37 MLAs and request them not to fall prey to BJP’s offers.
Kumaraswamy said that he would try his best to stop the BJP from coming to power through backdoors. “Yeddyurappa is behaving like a maniac. He will do anything to grab the CM chair. But we are well prepared to defeat him one more time,” he said.
His father and JDS Supremo H D Deve Gowda is reportedly working on a formula to save the four-month-old government at all costs. His aides claim that he is in constant touch with the Congress leaders to chalk out a strategy. However, the former Prime Minister refused to comment on the current crisis.
A senior Congress leader said that the Speaker may not accept the resignation of MLAs on some technical grounds, delaying the BJP’s plans and if the situation gets worse, the Cabinet may even recommend dissolution of the Assembly forcing fresh elections in the state denying a second chance to Yeddyurappa.
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