Bengaluru: A day after former CM Siddaramaiah called another Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, a party MLA claimed that they did not meet on Monday. He further said that the Karnataka legislators had begun to leave the Bengaluru resort as the "situation was normal".
"Last night they called me and informed that there's a meeting today but later they decided not to have any meeting. Most of the MLAs have left the resort. Few who are there will also go back Everything is okay. BJP was just creating confusion. It's okay now," Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy said.
The meeting was called at 11 am even as the party MLAs were holed up in a Bengaluru resort, fearing poaching attempts by the BJP. All eyes were on the four legislators who had failed to turn up at the last CLP meeting, triggering another round of hide-and-seek in the southern state.
The meeting was scheduled a day after the Congress sent notices to the four ‘rebel’ MLAs, seeking an explanation for their absence from the previous CLP meeting, asking why no action should be taken against them under the anti-defection law.
More recently, MLAs Anand Singh and JN Ganesh were involved in a 'minor fight' at the Eagleton resort that highlighted the urgency of the meeting, ANI quoted Congress leader Zameer Ahmed saying.
MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi, B Nagendra, Umesh Jadhav and Mahesh Kumatahalli had skipped the CLP meeting on Friday, triggering speculation that the BJP was attempting to dislodge the HD Kumaraswamy-led coalition government through another round of ‘Operation Lotus’.
Ahead of Monday’s meeting, Siddaramaiah issued notices to all party MLAs, warning that their absence would be viewed "seriously" and action initiated according to the anti-defection law.
Top Congress sources had said Friday that at least eight party MLAs have "committed" themselves to BJP. The JD(S) and Congress have, however, expressed confidence that the government would complete its tenure of five years.
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