With exit polls predicting a loss for the JD(S)-Congress alliance and with state government in jeopardy, tempers flare.
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In yet another embarrassment for the Congress party in Karnataka, seven-time MLA and former minister Roshan Baig has lashed out against his own party men, especially Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Dinesh Gundu Rao and former Chief Minister Siddarmaiah. Roshan Baig’s statement comes two days before the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha Elections. The disgruntled veteran leader, who was speculated to be unhappy with his party after not being allocated a ministerial post, has said that he may join the BJP. His discontent with the party only worsened when the Congress denied him a Lok Sabha seat from the Bengaluru Central segment, but chose to offer it to Rizwan Arshad instead. The leader, who is popular among the Muslim community in Bengaluru, has also urged his community members to not shy away from accepting the BJP. In various interactions with the media since Monday, Roshan Baig has expressed his discontent with the Congress. “No seats were given to Christians and only one seat was given to a Muslim in Karnataka. These communities were ignored. I'm upset with this. We have been used. KC Venugopal is a buffoon. I feel sorry for my leader Rahul Gandhi ji. Buffoons like Venugopal, the arrogant attitude of Siddaramaiah and the flop show Gundu Rao...The result is this,” the senior leader told news agency ANI on Tuesday morning whilst reacting to exit poll predictions. Speaking with reporters on Monday, he said, “Well, if NDA is coming back to power, I humbly appeal to Muslim brothers to learn to compromise with the situation." "If need be, I will do it [referring to supporting the BJP] because we (Muslims) cannot remain in a party which has disgraced us. We live our lives with grace and dignity. Where we will not get respect, we will not want to remain there. If someone makes us sit with love and affection, we will sit with them," he added. A show cause notice has been issued to Roshan Baig seeking an explanation over his behaviour within one weeks’ time. The show casue notice issued by BY Ghorpade, General Secretary, KPCC Disciplinary Committee said, “It has come to our knowledge that you have spoken against Congress in-charge of Karnataka KC Venugopal, CLP leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao.” The notice added, “We have seen the video of your statement to the media on Tuesday referring to these leaders as buffoon, arrogant and flop show. Your statement has caused extreme embarrassment to the party. Speaking against these leaders and slighting the party with your statement constitutes indulging in anti-party activities. We give you one week to respond to the notice or disciplinary action will be taken against you.” How stable is Karnataka government? In addition to the embarrassment, if the senior Congressman does eventually choose to leave the party, it threatens the stability of the government. Other than Baig, at least four MLAs led by Ramesh Jarkiholi are also poised to join the BJP. Umesh Jadhav, another such dissident MLA who won on a Congress ticket is already in the BJP and contested against Congress heavyweight Mallikarjun Kharge on his home turf for the Kalaburagi Lok Sabha seat. However, the switching of sides is expected to take place only after May 23, when along with the Lok Sabha elections, results of the two crucial Assembly seats will be declared. With two sitting Congress MLAs also contesting Lok Sabha elections, the number of games might change further. The majority mark in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly is 113. At present, Congress has 77 MLAs, plus the Speaker who casts a vote in case of a tie during a floor test. The JD(S) has 37 MLAs and the lone BSP MLA also supports the Kumaraswamy government. The BJP, on the other hand, has 104 MLAs and the support from two independents. If the BJP wins the two bye-election seats and also manages to poach at least five MLAs, it will not only be able to bring down the Kumaraswamy government but can also stake claim to form the next government.
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