Karnataka Crisis: CM Kumaraswamy Holds Talks With Congress Dissidents

Reports suggest that the CM may expand his Cabinet this week to accommodate all rebel MLAs.

Bengaluru: Amid reports of a widening rift between the allies, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has met Mahesh Kumatalli, an aide of dissident Congress leader Ramesh Jarkiholi, in an attempt to somehow keep the flock together, said reports on Tuesday. (Also read: After UP, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Jharkhand Cong Chief Resigns)

Kumaraswamy’s attempt at pacifying the rebels came on a day when Congress MLA K N Rajanna also claimed that the coalition government of JD(S) and Congress will “collapse after June 10”.

Not stopping at that, Rajanna went on to blame deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader G Parameshwara for the defeat of JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda in Tumakuru.

Meanwhile, reports also suggested that CLP leader Siddaramaiah was also holding talks with Congress rebels who are being wooed by BJP. Kumaraswamy joined the peace moves as one of the major grievances of Congress MLAs is that he is never available.

A CLP meeting is slated for Wednesday where Congress leaders expect some MLAs to demand an end to the coalition with JD(S) as they feel it has only harmed the party’s prospects.

The Chief Minister is likely to fill vacancies in his cabinet to accommodate disgruntled MLAs, especially Ramesh. If a leading daily is to be believed, the expansion could happen this week itself. It also said that the Chief Minister might leave the Taj West End hotel from where he has been operating for a year now.

On Monday, JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda also held a discussion with Karnataka Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao to discuss the coalition’s rout in the Lok Sabha elections.

After the meeting, Rao said, “I cannot disclose what discussion we had because he has said something outright about the two parties. We will have to take certain decisions after discussing with the senior leaders in our party.”

The allies managed to get just one seat each of the 28 in Karnataka, while the BJP won 25 seats. The other seat was bagged by BJP-backed Independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh, who defeated Deve Gowda’s grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Mandya.