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Karnataka crisis: JD(S), Congress ministers resign to pave way for reshuffle after 14 MLAs quit

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5 years ago

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Teetering on the edge after resignation of 14 MLAs – the latest a minister and independent MLA who openly came out in support of BJP – the coalition government in Karnataka is set for a cabinet reshuffle as part of a last ditch effort to save it.

The pave the way for this, Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) ministers in HD Kumaraswamy’s government sent in their resignations today (Monday, July 8).

“All ministers from JDS have submitted their resignations just like the 21 ministers from Congress,” the Karnataka Chief Minister’s office tweeted on Monday, announcing that a “cabinet reshuffle will happen soon”.

The announcement by Chief Minister Kumaraswamy’s office came hours after the Congress asked its 21 ministers to step down to make space in his new council of ministers for the dozen-odd rebel legislators who have sent in their resignation letters.

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who cut short a private visit to the US and returned last evening to handle the crisis, said Congress and JDS minsters have resigned to make room for rebels who might be persuaded to return.

The plan was firmed up at a breakfast meeting convened by Karnataka deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, said media reports. Soon after, state Congress leader Priyank Kharge told Hindustan Times that the Congress ministers had sent their resignation to Karnataka Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao. By evening, the JDS ministers also followed suit.

KC Venugopal, the senior Congress leader sent from Delhi to see if the coalition government can survive its biggest crisis, said the ministers had resigned voluntarily. “I sincerely thank the ministers for their sacrifice for defeating the anti-democratic attitude of BJP. We believe in the MLAs and we are ready to discuss everything. Those who resigned should come back and strengthen their own party,” he said.

Targetting the Opposition BJP, former chief minister and chairman of reconciliation committee Siddaramaiah said, “The BJP is trying to overthrow the government through anti-constitutional measures. The BJP, which has no respect for democracy, is a disgrace to the country. The BJP is constantly trying to break up a constitutionally constituted government with a mandate.”

Siddaramaiah, who called Amit Shah and Narendra Modi “dictator”, accused them of exploiting central institutions to intimidate the Congress and JD(S) legislators. “This is the sixth attempt of the BJP to topple the coalition government in the last one year,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that he was sure that the BJP would fail again.

Siddaramaiah added that the rebel MLAs, who were unhappy that they did not get a berth in the year-old Kumaraswamy, would be accommodated. “Reshuffle means a total reshuffle,” he told reporters.

Many of the rebel MLAs have insisted that they didn’t quit because they were left out of Kumaraswamy’s cabinet but had their own reasons.

For instance, Independent MLA H Nagesh, who switched sides from the ruling coalition to the BJP on Monday, had been inducted to the cabinet just last month. The Congress’ calculation appears to be that if the lure of a cabinet berth can convince just some of the MLAs to withdraw their resignation letters, the Kumaraswamy government would continue to stay above the majority-mark when the July 12 budget session of the state assembly begins.

Meanwhile, Nagesh has left for Mumbai, which has become the base of the rebels. The lawmakers who resigned on Saturday – eight from the Congress and three from the JDS – were taken to a five-star hotel in Mumbai the same day.

There are reports of two more exits, including that of Congress’s Soumya Reddy, daughter of former Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy. The JDS has moved all its lawmakers to a resort. Media reports said the party has booked 35 rooms in Paddington Resort in Kodagu for tonight.

The Congress, which accused the BJP of herding the rebels to a hotel in Mumbai, alleged that Nagesh has been kidnapped. “Just now Nagesh called me and said that he has been hijacked by Yeddyurappas’ personal attendant and the BJP. By the time I reached airport the flight had left,” Congress troubleshooter DK Shivakumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The BJP has denied any role in the crisis but sources say it is getting ready to strike. “We are not sanyasis (hermits),” its leader BS Yeddyurappa has said.

While BJP denies having a hand in the affair, The Hindu reported that rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs holed up at Sofitel hotel in Mumbai under the watch of State BJP leaders since Saturday.

It quoted a BJP leader assigned with the task of monitoring the MLAs, as saying, “We have 14 Congress and JD(S) MLAs with us in Mumbai. They were brought to Sofitel on Saturday night and will be here for at least two-three days.”

Maharashtra Congress leader Ashok Chavan accused the BJP of trying to topple the democratically elected Karnataka government by misusing the State machinery.

The coalition was pushed to the brink on Saturday after 13 Congress and JD(S) MLAs submitted their resignations to bring its number to 105, on par with the BJP, in the 224-member Assembly even as several other rebels are reported to be waiting to exit. The resignations of the 13 MLAs, at least 10 of whom have moved to a Mumbai hotel, are yet to be accepted by the Speaker.

If the resignations of the MLAs are accepted by the Speaker, the coalition’s tally will be reduced to 104. The Speaker also has a vote. The BJP has 105 MLAs in the House.

At present, pending acceptance of resignations of MLAs, the JD(S)-Congress coalition’s total strength after Nagesh withdrawing his support, stood at 117 (Congress-78, JD(S)-37, BSP-1 and Independents-1), besides the Speaker. The half-way mark is 113.

If the resignations stand, the Congress-JDS coalition’s 118 members in the 224-seat state assembly will come down to 104 and the majority mark will drop from 113 to 106. The BJP, with the support of Nagesh, has 106 members.

Speaker Ramesh Kumar, who was not in office when 11 lawmakers submitted resignation letters on Saturday, will examine the matter tomorrow. Congress leaders say a clear picture will emerge on July 12, when the assembly session begins.

“There is no threat to the coalition government. It is safe,” said Siddaramaiah. “@BJP4India is misusing central govt & its agencies to threaten our MLAs. It is not just by @BJP4Karnataka leaders but also by dictators @AmitShah & @narendramodi. They are nothing but the traitors of this vibrant country,” his tweet read. Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the party is in still in touch with the rebels.

The matter found resonance in Parliament, where Union minister Rajnath Singh denied Congress allegations about the BJP attempts to destabilise the state government. “Our party does not put pressure on any other party’s lawmaker or legislator. It is Rahul Gandhi who started the resignation spree,” Rajnath Singh said.

Congress leader Venugopal, who pinned the blame for the resignation of the ruling coalition MLAs on the BJP, said the BJP had offered money and cabinet berths to the rebels. “The country never witnessed anything like this. This is the sixth attempt to destabilise the government,” he said, insisting that the coalition was confident that the BJP will “fail terribly” at its effort too.

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BJP says it stands for credibility of promises under PM Modi, Congress for crisis

Trivedi mockingly questioned whether Kharge was truthful in his statements made the previous day, implying that his critiques of the BJP were a reaction driven by pressure to reconcile his earlier remarks.

Published

3 weeks ago

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November 2, 2024

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The BJP said on Saturday that it stood for the credibility of promises made under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, while labeling the Congress party as one suffering from a crisis of credibility, intensifying their ongoing rhetorical conflict over unfulfilled electoral pledges.

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said that the ruling party has expanded its welfare initiatives, including health insurance, free food grains, and cash transfers to farmers, emphasising a strategy focused on wealth creation followed by equitable distribution as the Indian economy has grown over the last decade.

“We believe in the creation of wealth and its distribution. The Congress fosters corruption and depletes wealth,” he stated, referencing numerous unfulfilled promises made by Congress-led governments across various states.

Following Mallikarjun Kharge’s remark labeling “Modi ki guarantee” as a cruel joke after Modi seized Kharge’s guidance on budgetary constraints in state poll announcements, the BJP launched new accusations.

Trivedi mockingly questioned whether Kharge was truthful in his statements made the previous day, implying that his critiques of the BJP were a reaction driven by pressure to reconcile his earlier remarks.

Trivedi highlighted several accomplishments of the Modi government, including the construction of the Ram temple, the abrogation of Article 370, the building of over 14 crore homes for the impoverished, the establishment of more than 51 crore Jan Dhan accounts, and a firm stance against terrorism from Pakistan, to demonstrate the government’s fulfillment of its commitments.

He noted that Kharge, having witnessed notable leaders like PV Narasimha Rao and Pranab Mukherjee manage economic challenges effectively, is now observing the Congress party struggling under the influence of urban Naxals due to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

Addressing Kharge’s criticisms on various issues, Trivedi pointed to data from the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) indicating a rise in account holders from 11 crore to 25 crore over the past decade.

He also referenced significant infrastructure projects, such as the construction of homes for the poor, 74 new airports, and an impressive pace of 37 kilometers of road built per day, claiming that these initiatives have created substantial employment opportunities.

“India is now ranked third in auto manufacturing and second in mobile phone manufacturing; if anyone is unable to recognize the country’s progress, there is a profound deficiency in their perspective,” asserted the BJP spokesperson.

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Maharashtra elections: Congress says Mahayuti understands its exit is certain

Congress leader Sachin Pilot, also an observer of the Congress party for the Maharashtra elections, said that the ruling Mahayuti alliance is aware that its exit is imminent.      

Published

3 weeks ago

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October 30, 2024

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The Congress on Wednesday asserted the ruling Mahayuti government in Maharashtra has understood that its exit is certain as the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance is strong and that all its candidates are in a strong position for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot, also an observer of the Congress party for the Maharashtra elections, said that the ruling Mahayuti alliance is aware that its exit is imminent.      

The Congress leader stated that the party is fully prepared and that its ally parties in Maharashtra are strong. He mentioned that the seat-sharing negotiations occurred in a positive atmosphere and that the ruling party has recognized that their exit is inevitable.

“All the candidates of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are in a strong position. The people here have decided to support Congress and its allies in the upcoming Assembly elections,” he said.

He also noted that the alliance’s performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections was impressive. “Wherever Congress contested, our candidates won 80 percent of the seats. We expect this trend to continue,” he added.

Pilot acknowledged that there have been some differences among party members regarding specific seats but assured that those issues would be resolved in the next 2-3 days, ensuring there would be only one candidate from the MVA for each seat.

Earlier in the day, Ramesh Chennithala, Congress in charge of Maharashtra, slammed the BJP, claiming that the party is undermining its alliances in the state.

“The BJP is dismantling its alliances. They are forcefully converting alliance partner candidates into their own party candidates. The people will respond to this,” he stated while speaking to reporters.

Earlier on October 26, Chennithala alleged that crores of rupees have been reportedly offered to two of its MLAs to join Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction, ahead of state Assembly elections.

Chennithala made those allegations while speaking to reporters in the national capital. He also questioned the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Voting for all 288 constituencies for the Maharashtra Assembly elections are set for November 20 and counting on November 23. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.

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Rahul Gandhi not upset, Opposition spreading fake news: NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh

“Opposition parties are spreading false information. It is not true that Rahul Gandhi is upset with leaders in the State,” he said.

Published

4 weeks ago

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October 26, 2024

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Asserting that Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was not upset with the Maharashtra unit, NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh on Saturday accused the Mahayuti of spreading fake news over the issue of seat-sharing in the state.

Deshmukh mentioned that meetings between leaders of Congress in Maharashtra, including Balasaheb Thorat, Nana Patole, and Vijay Wadettiwar, and representatives of NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), went well.

“Rahul Gandhi is not upset. Leaders like Balasaheb Thorat, Nana Patole and Vijay Wadettiwar all had meetings with leaders of NCP-SCP and Shiv Sena (UBT). We had taken the decision regarding seat sharing based on merit,” the NCP(SP) leader said.

He further clarified that the decision on seat sharing was made based on merit, countering the false information being spread by Opposition parties. Deshmukh also dispelled the notion that Rahul Gandhi was upset with the state leaders.

“Opposition parties are spreading false information. It is not true that Rahul Gandhi is upset with leaders in the State,” he said.

Furthermore, in preparation for the upcoming Assembly polls in Maharashtra, Congress released its second list of 23 candidates on Saturday.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has concluded talks on sharing seats in 255 constituencies, with each party planning to contest 85 Assembly constituencies, as informed by Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole.

On the same day, the BJP released a list of 40 star campaigners, including prominent party leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief Jagat Prakash Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The other leaders from the saffron party — Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Assam Chief Minister Hemant Biswa Sarma, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Pramod Sawant were in the list.

The list also includes names of prominent leaders from the State — Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Vinod Tawde, Narayan Rane, Pankaja Munde, Chandrakant (Dada) Patil, Girish Mahajan, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Ashish Shelar, Udayan Raje Bhonsle, Raosaheb Danve Patil, Ashok Chavan, Sudhir Mugantiwar, Navneet Rana, among others.

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