The Karnataka politics is once again witnessing a game of numbers. This time, however, it is not to form or overthrow a government, but for ‘one-upmanship’ as to which party can lure more MLAs.
The Congress claims they are in touch with more than 50 leaders, including MLAs who wish to join their party, while Janata Dal (S) (JDS) leader H D Kumaraswamy has claimed that nearly 45 Congress leaders have expressed their will to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Deputy CM and senior Congressman D K Shivakumar announced that more than 50 leaders from the BJP and JDS are waiting in the wings to join the party. He also claimed that there is no truth in the rumours of factionalism in Karnataka Congress. “I have an appointment card with me which says that the next round of admissions to our party will happen on November 15," declared Shivakumar, a comment that is being seen as a contest to former CM Kumaraswamy’s comment.
“This is nothing, but sabre-rattling by both the ruling and opposition parties. It is competitive infighting between all three parties to keep the political rhetoric going just before the Lok Sabha polls," said political analyst Sandeep Shastri.
“Given that the Congress government has a stable majority, the opposition wishes to focus on the instability within the Congress. The BJP and Janata Dal (S) keep referring to the fact that there are a number of MLAs who are talking to them to jump ship," Shastri said, explaining that the BJP and JDS do not have their house in order.
CONG-JDS WAR
The recent JDS-BJP alliance has drawn battle lines between once coalition partners Congress and JDS.
When News18 reached out to a group of leaders who allegedly expressed interest in joining the Congress from the BJP, many refused to comment.
However, a senior leader, on the condition of anonymity, said, “The BJP’s house is not in order, and there is absolutely no sense of direction or enthusiasm to work. Many the top leaders are still simmering after the electoral loss in the recent Karnataka assembly polls. Several appointments to the high command on key decisions are yet to fructify, and there is plain chaos. We need to work and deliver to the people, who are now looking at us with contempt," said the leader.
BJP LOOKS TO BOOST MORALE
On the other hand, it is learnt that the BJP has tasked senior Karnataka state leaders to boost the morale of the party workers to ensure a solid victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. As of now, the BJP has 26 MPs, the JDS has one, and the Congress has one MP from Karnataka of the total 28 seats.
“Our doors are open to those who want to join us. We are in touch with several of them, many of them are MLAs who have seen through the Siddaramaiah-D K Shivakumar pretence," said a Dakshin Kannada leader when asked whether there is a specific outreach programme to rope in leaders from the Congress.
Interestingly, the statement by Shivakumar comes in the wake of JD(S) leaders assembling for a party meeting in Hassan where reportedly 18 of the 19 JDS MLAs took a ‘loyalty pledge’ at the famous Hasanamba temple, a move that is said to be done at the behest of Kumaraswamy.
Kumaraswamy stated that the Congress is “petrified" by the alliance their party has with the BJP and is confident that the Siddaramaiah government will collapse on its own due to infighting.
Karnataka’s Industries Minister M B Patil took a more severe stand and warned the BJP, “If they try to poach even one MLA, they should be ready. We will see to it that 25 BJP MLAs join the Congress, and we take our already comfortable majority from 136 to 150 or 160."
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