Kumaraswamy to attend Congress Legislature Party meet; BJP calls it ‘complete submission’ to JD(S)

Bengaluru: The coalition government seems to be witnessing a storm from within as few legislators have reportedly decided to switch to the BJP due to denial of suitable posts and dominance of the JD(S) leaders in all the segments.

This has made the Congress invite chief minister HD Kumaraswamy to listen to 'suggestions' from the Congress MLAs in the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meet that is expected to take place on December 8.

While the Congress leaders say this development as 'good gesture' from the chief minister to contain the difference and dissatisfaction, the BJP calls this a “complete submission” of the Congress to the JD(S).

Denying such claims of the BJP, Dinesh Gundu Rao, president, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), said, "This invitation extended to the CM is a party's decision. Since he is heading a coalition government, it will be good if he listens to the Congress MLAs’ problems and take advice and suggestions. The Congress has not surrendered to the JD(S) and all these comments are made to create differences between the JD(S) and the Congress."

The BJP, which has been gunning to topple the coalition government, did not want to let this opportunity go to waste and was quick to quip.

"The Congress has no leaders who can take all the MLAs into confidence. Even when the former minister MB Patil turned rebel, it was HD Kumaraswamy who intervened. And now, it is Kumaraswamy who needs to pacify the disgruntled Congress MLAs," said S Prakash, Karnataka BJP spokesperson.

This meeting of the CLP which has never witnessed an outsider attending will enter into record books. Seemingly, the JD(S) leader will continue to call the shots over the Congress.

The JD(S) leaders, however, say that the invitation to Kumaraswamy from the Congress leader Siddaramaiah should not be politicised as Kumaraswamy should be seen as CM and not as the JD(S) leader.

"Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah has extended the invite with the consent from the Karnataka Congress president. This is only for the betterment of the coalition government. The CM has agreed as he wants to listen to the Congress MLAs’ suggestions with respect to the works in their Assembly segments," said Tanveer Ahmed, national spokesperson, JD(S).

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