The JD(S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka is on a shaky wicket as the saffron sweep in the state has renewed the BJP's hopes of toppling the government.
The coalition government, which is fighting dissidence, is hoping to expand the cabinet to placate disgruntled MLAs, who might fall for the BJP's bid to poach rebels to destabilise the government.
A day after Congress ministers reposed faith in the leadership of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, coalition leaders held hectic parleys on Wednesday to deliberate on the cabinet expansion. Chief Kumaraswamy's decision to expand his cabinet to mollify the disgruntled Congress MLAs—who are tilting towards the BJP—is posing a challenge to the Congress.
On Wednesday, the coalition partners held hectic parleys with rebels and closed-door meetings headed by Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal. The meetings were attended by Kumaraswamy, KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar and coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah.
At the Congress legislature party meeting convened by Siddaramaiah later on Wednesday evening, the party discussed its plan for cabinet expansion.
Earlier, Kumaraswamy met the disgruntled MLAs individually, while many Congress legislators too met the chief minister seeking a cabinet berth. However, the coalition partners failed to arrive at a consensus on the issue of cabinet expansion. While Kumaraswamy is hoping to accommodate more dissidents by dropping a few sitting ministers, Siddaramaiah is adamant on filling up only three vacancies.
The Congress in Karnataka is caught between the devil and the deep sea. While political compulsions brought the arch-rivals together to form the coalition in 2018, the JD(S) and Congress are left to carry on with the alliance despite the dissenting voices that are warning of an existential crisis for the Congress in the long run.
After the humiliating drubbing in the just concluded Lok Sabha polls that left the party with just one seat out of the 28 in Karnataka, the Congress is facing rebellion. The CLP meeting was attended by only 72 (out of 79) MLAs; rebel MLA from Gokak Ramesh Jarkiholi and two independent MLAs were conspicuous by their absence.
Meanwhile, the BJP has adopted a "wait and watch" policy as the saffron party suspects the coalition will fall apart owing to the rebellion brewing within the allied parties. State BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa, who ruled out "Operation Lotus" (poaching of rebel MLAs) to destabilise the coalition, did not deny the fact that the BJP was hopeful of forming the government if the coalition crumbles on its own.
"The state BJP will take a call on forming the government after consulting the central leadership," said Yeddyurappa. BJP insiders hint that the party will take a call after Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes the oath of office for his second term on Thursday.
also read
- 'There was never a deal; will remain CM for full five years': Siddaramaiah's final blow to Shivakumar's CM ambitions?
- Grieving wife donates Bengaluru man's eyes after he dies of heart attack on road awaiting help
- How a former Karnataka MLA saved life of an American co-passenger mid-air
- Karnataka: Congress MLA claims D.K. Shivakumar will become chief minister on THIS date
The BJP, which is upbeat after sweeping 25 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats and enhancing its vote share from the previous 43 per cent to 52 per cent, is no doubt confident of a thumping win if the state goes for midterm Assembly polls. But the rout in the Lok Sabha polls has rattled the Congress and the JD(S), both of which now dread an early or midterm election.
On June 5, the BJP is holding a core committee meeting to discuss its next move.