Bengaluru: Playing down the threat by former minister, Ramesh Jarkiholi to quit the Congress with his supporters, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr G Parameshwar and water resources minister, D K Shivakumar on Thursday were emphatic that the survival of the coalition government in the state was not in question.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy at his home here, the two men also claimed that they had not visited him to discuss any instability in the government but only some administrative matters.
" BJP leaders have been talking about bringing down the government for the last one year and they continue to make such statements. We are not bothered by them. We are only here to discuss the administrative decisions we have not been able to take due to the election code of conduct being in place. We want the Election Commission to relax the code of conduct as the elections have already been held in Karnataka,'' they claimed.
But when it was pointed out that Mr Jarkiholi was threatening to resign with 10 legislators, Mr Shivakumar said all the 80 Congress legislators were with the party. "No Congress legislator has said the government will fall. It is just media hype. Mr Ramesh Jarkiholi worked in the Youth Congress before becoming MLA. At times, he speaks in this manner, but it should not be taken seriously," Dr Parameshwar contended, adding that both Mr Ramesh and Mr Satish Jarkiholi were brothers and sometimes talked the way they did.
“Mr Satish had asked for the CM's post, but did not get it. Is he quitting the party? We are all like family members and there will be some problems in a family. We will sort out the issues," he said.
As for Mr Jarkiholi's statement that Mr Shivakumar was not of his stature, the minister said he would gracefully accept it.
“He is a tall leader and even if he slaps me, I will take it. We are like family and are all with Mr Ramesh Jarkiholi,” he added.
