The Congress-JDS coalition government in Karnataka is on edge, as senior BJP leader Umesh Katti has claimed that he is in touch with at least 15 disgruntled MLAs of ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition and BJP will open doors for them if they chose to join it.
Umesh Katti, an eight-time MLA reportedly claimed that the coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy will collapse within the next 24 hours and expressed confidence that BJP would form a new government in the state by next week. The Congress-JDS coalition which is already on a backfoot after senior Congress leader Ramesh Jarkiholi had hinted at quitting the party to join the BJP after he was axed from the cabinet.
”The coalition government will collapse within a day. The BJP will form the next government in the state within the next 15 days. At least 15 disgruntled MLAs of the Congress are in touch with me and are set to join the saffron outfit shortly,’’ Katti said without revealing the names of the MLAs belonging to the Congress-JDS coalition.
Reportedly, Katti also claimed that he is touch with Ramesh Jarakiholi and said he would welcome Jarakiholi to the BJP. However, Katti has also ruled out of engineering any defections in the coalition, similar to ‘Operation Kamala’, but said that the party would definitely welcome the dissident MLAs from the Congress and the JD(S) if they want to join the BJP.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Dinesh Gundu Rao has asked Umesh Katti not to mislead people by making such illusionary statements. He further challenged Katti saying that he must resign as a legislator if he fails to prove.
The Congress-JDS coalition has been rocked with controversies, despite the so-called waive-off of farm loans, two farmers have already committed suicide in the state, while many other farmers have also received loan repayment notices from the banks. The coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy is also facing heat within its own coalition as senior leaders from the coalition have expressed disappointment over the recent cabinet expansion which has resulted in speculations of defections from the coalition.
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has also been facing the wrath of the public after he had ordered for an ‘encounter‘ of the accused involved in the murder of a Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) party worker. A complaint has also been registered by an activist against the Chief Minister for ordering to ‘mercilessly kill’ an accused.
