The Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting on Friday, 18 January, was projected as a show of strength to put an end to the rumours of the Karnataka coalition government’s instability, and to thwart ‘Operation Lotus’ by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Out of the 79 Congress MLAs (excluding the Speaker), 75 attended the CLP meeting and party leaders announced this as a signal to prove that the BJP’s plan to make at least 14 MLAs to change camps and topple the government had failed.
However, in a surprising move, after announcing their government's stability, the Congress shifted its legislators to Eagleton resort, in Bidadi, in the outskirts of the city. This move reignited speculation that the BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ was not over.
Four Congress MLAs – Ramesh Jarkiholi, Umesh Jadhav, Mahesh Kumatalli and B Nagendra – who were alleged to be in touch with the BJP staying absent from the CLP meeting is said to have strengthened the fears of the Congress, which resulted in the shift.
Resort Politics Resumes
Even though the party played down the absence of these MLAs, it was indeed a factor for the Congress moving its MLAs to a resort. While a party leader insisted that the move was aimed at discussing their plans for the General Elections, Legislative Party Leader Siddaramaiah during his briefing said: “We have to protect our MLAs from their (BJP) operation.”
Some leaders said until they are satisfied with the stability of the party, the MLAs will remain at the resort. One of the signals awaited by the Congress is the return of the BJP MLAs who are currently lodged in a hotel in Gurugram, Haryana.
Sources in the BJP said that the party is still pushing for the four MLAs who skipped the meeting to resign and use to it get more resignations. A BJP leader also claimed not all Congress MLAs boarded the bus leaving for the resort from Vidhan Soudha. However, a Congress leader said that by tonight all 76 MLAs, including the Speaker, will reach the resort.
Show Cause Notice Against Absentees
Siddaramaiah said that two of the four MLAs had informed the party about their absence. He said that Umesh Jadhav had sent him a letter claiming he was unwell, while B Nagendra had spoken to KC Venugopal – AICC’s in-charge for Karnataka. However, the other two MLAs – Ramesh Jarkiholi and Mahesh Kumathalli – remained incommunicado.
“'We will verify with Jadhav and Nagendra again whether their reasons were genuine. All four will be issued a notice seeking an explanation for their absence," Siddaramaiah said.
The absence of these four MLAs, however, will not affect the stability of the government. Even though the coalition’s strength in the Assembly will be reduced to 114 if they vote against the party during the next Assembly session, they will be disqualified under the anti-defection law. This would bring the Assembly’s strength to 210 and the coalition government will continue to have majority.
Anti-Defection Law Will Talk Time
While calling for the special meeting of the CLP, Siddaramaiah had said that the those who miss the meeting will be punished under the anti-defection law. However, some Congress leaders pointed out that the legislators who missed the meeting without informing the party leaders cannot be punished under the law.
They explained that, by definition, only a member who voluntarily gives up the membership of his party or disobeys the directives of the party leadership on a vote can be disqualified the under the law. A party meeting need not call for the punishment under the law.
However, if the leaders’ explanation to the show cause notice is not satisfactory, action can be initiated against them during the next Assembly session.
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