D K Shivakumar to expose BJP plan to destabilise H D Kumaraswamy government

BENGALURU: With speculation rife that the Congress-JD (S) coalition government will fall after Sankranti (Tuesday), the Congress on Sunday threatened to expose the BJP if it did not stop its efforts to topple the government.


“A big conspiracy is on to topple the coalition government,” water resources minister DK Shivakumar said. “We have information on which Congress MLAs the BJP has approached and how much money has been offered. We will expose them thoroughly,” he alleged.

The minister’s reaction came after a section of media reported 6-7 Congress MLAs have been camping in Delhi and would join the BJP in a day or two. “Let us see who they are,” Shivakumar said. Rumours suggest Ramesh Jarkiholi, B Nagendra, Anand Singh, Mahesh Kumatalli and Srimanth Patil are ready to defect and state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa, who is also in Delhi along with 104 MLAs of his party, is facilitating their entry into the BJP.


Deve Gowda: Son is under pressure
JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda on Sunday said CM HD Kumaraswamy is under “tremendous pressure” running the coalition government, but he is not going to blame anybody for it. “He’s is managing it well. Both parties are aware of their social responsibilities,” he said. P 4

Not easy for BJP to unseat govt
The BJP has been making attempts at unseating the Kumaraswamy government, but will it succeed? Going by the numbers in the assembly and the political situation, the odds are stacked against the BJP, making its chances of tasting success very remote, reports Anil Gejji. P 4

Yeddyurappa rejects Congress claims
Shivakumar spiked the rumours. He said: “Only three MLAs have gone to Mumbai. I don’t know why they have gone, but we know in which hotel they are staying. Barring them, all other MLAs who are said to be joining BJP are in their respective constituencies. ”

When asked for a response, Yeddyurappa said he did not know disgruntled Congress MLAs were camping in Delhi. “Please tell me where they are staying and I will go and meet them,” he said.

BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje sought to distance herself from the issue, saying if any Congress MLA wants to join the BJP, he or she must resign from the party before approaching the saffron party.

IT, ACB should take action
Shivakumar took exception to the inaction by income tax and Anti-Corruption Bureau officials on complaints filed by KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao against the BJP. Gundurao had filed complaints after party MLAs BC Patil and B Nagendra said they were offered huge sums of money by state BJP leaders to switch sides.

“It is the duty of these entities to conduct an inquiry into the complaint filed by a responsible political party,” Shivakumar said. “Unfortunately, that has not happened.”

Ganesh Hukkeri does U-turn
Congress MLA Ganesh Hukkeri on Sunday stirred up a hornets’ nest by telling a news channel he would join the BJP on January 19. Ganesh said discussions with the BJP had “reached finality”. When the report was aired, Ganesh, who is also the chief whip of the party in the assembly, claimed he had “only joked” with the reporter. “Congress is my home since my birth. Why should I leave my home for Bharatiya Jumla Party,” Ganesh tweeted with the hashtag#IAmGaneshHukkeri and IAmCongress.

Cong MLA to take on Kharge
Dr Umesh Jadhav, a two-time MLA from Chincholi, has reportedly decided to quit the Congress and join the BJP to take on Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, in Kalaburagi constituency in this year’s general election. It is said Jadhav is miffed with Kharge as he believes the Kalaburagi leader is responsible for him not getting a cabinet berth. “BJP leaders have been asking my brother to contest against Kharge,” Ramachandra, Umesh’s brother, said.

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