BENGALURU/MANGALURU: A group of state Congress leaders led by ministers Ramesh Jarkiholi and Shivananand Patil arrived on Wednesady at the Dharmasthala resort to confer with former chief minister Siddaramaiah, who has the coalition government on tenterhooks after stirring a hornet's nest with his statement that the administration would not last beyond one year.
With speculation raging of moves by the former CM's camp to bring down the government by having at least 12 Congress legislators resign their seats, which would reduce the Congress-JD(S) coalition's majority and possibly invite President's Rule, the JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda has reportedly headed for Delhi to confer with the Congress top brass to head off the crisis.
Mr. Jarkiholi is reported to have flown in with 10 Congress MLAs, adding to the speculation that the H.D. Kumaraswamy government was on the edge of a meltdown and would not be able to present a budget on July 5 as per its original plan.
Sources in Mr Siddaramaiah's camp said the former chief minister has been throwing tantrums because he did not appreciate being sidelined, and finding Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy and his long time rival, deputy Dr G. Parameshwara, becoming the new power centres.
The barely month old Kumaraswamy government is looking increasingly shaky already with the nature cure centre at Shantivana where former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is supposedly de-stressing after the recent assembly poll, becoming a hotbed of political activity of late.
The Kuruba strongman threw the first wrench in the wheels of the government by demanding that it follow his budget presented a few months ago. While this appeared to shake up Chief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy, he now seems determined not to let him remain in the hot seat after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as he reportedly fears his clout weakening even more should the Congress - JD(S) alliance win over 15 parliamentary seats in the state. The SDM Yoga and Nature Cure Hospital in Shanthivana near Dharmasthala has been buzzing with political activity ever since he made his opposition clear to the Congress –JD(S) coalition government presenting a fresh budget. While several MLAs loyal to him have made a beeline for Shanthivana to pledge their support to him, many others are said to be in constant touch with him over the phone. Interestingly, a few JD(S) MLAs too have called him to discuss the ongoing developments in the government, according to sources.
In a more worrying development for the fledgling government as many as 10 MLAs are reported to have met him on Wednesday to discuss their future course of action. Going by sources, Mr. Siddaramaiah, who was upset with the party high command for sidelining him in the coalition government, was further angered by Congress president, Rahul Gandhi giving Mr Kumaraswamy the green signal to present a fresh budget.
Sources also confirm that the release of two video clippings showing him airing his opposition to a fresh budget was a ploy by the Siddaramaiah camp to send a message not so much to the Chief Minister as to the party high command and his opponents in the party that he was not a spent force yet. Sensing something brewing at Shanthivana, KPCC president and Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. G. Parameshwar had rushed there on Sunday to pacify Mr. Siddaramaiah, but came away with an earful from the latter for not opposing the budget, sources reveal. Should Mr. Siddaramaiah decide to seriously flex his muscles, he may be able to count on over 50 Congress MLAs, besides a few JD(S) MLAs as well, they claim. While backing the former Chief Minister’s stand on the budget and crop loan waiver, former media advisor in the last government, Dinesh Amin Mattu, however, finds it strange that he has spoken openly against a fresh budget instead of raising the issue in the co-ordination committee meeting.” I think Mr. Siddaramaiah is feeling disturbed after the party high command gave the green signal for a new budget,” he reasons. Pro-tem Chairman of the Legislative Council, Basavaraj Horatti, who is a friend of the former Chief Minister, admits he could destabilise the present government, but he believes that in the longer term this could help the JD(S) win public sympathy.
