Bengaluru: A day after two of its MLAs tendered their resignations, the Congress in Karnataka went into a damage control mode Tuesday as it made attempts to reach out to the disgruntled legislators while asserting that its coalition government with JDS was safe.
Jolted by the double blow, the Congress also accused the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of making attempts to topple the 13-month old H D Kumaraswamy government, a charge rejected by the saffron party. Raising eyebrows, a JDS Minister, however, gave a clean chit to Modi and Shah saying they were not involved in state politics. According to Congress sources, former chief minister and Congress Legislature Party chief Siddaramaiah, who has taken the lead role in keeping the party flock together, has been reaching out to the disgruntled MLAs, considered 'vulnerable', since Monday.
There are concerns that a few more MLAs who were allegedly in touch with the BJP may follow the foot steps of Anand Singh and Ramesh Jarkiholi who had sent in their resignations as legislators to Speaker Ramesh Kumar Monday. The developments dealt a double blow to the wobbly JDS-Congress government with another phase of uncertainty looming large over its stability.
Speaking to reporters here Tuesday, Siddaramaiah alleged BJP was behind the resignation of MLAs and the party wanted to some how topple the government and come to power.
"....it's BJPs conspiracy. They are the ones who are trying to lure our MLAs... They have the thirst for power, so they are making such attempts, he charged. Amit Shah himself is doing this. The Prime Minister is also involved in this. To pull down this government, they are offering money, they are offering power," he alleged.
For the last one year they had been trying to topple the government but did not succeed. "Again they have started, they will not succeed, he added.
He was responding to a question about JDS leader and Education Minister G T Devegowda's statement earlier in the day in Mysuru.