20 Congress MLAs Set To Join Hands With BJP?

Even as the elections are drawing to a close, the Congress has a new worry to handle. At least 20 of its MLAs are now planning to leave the party. If that happens, the Kumaraswami Government will become a minority. Realsing that its MLAs are looking towards the BJP, the Congress high command has gone into a hyper active mode. It sent senior party leader Venugopal to Karnataka to douse the fires of dissidence. Already, several MLAs from the Congress are not in touch with the state leadership. Some leaders like Ramesh Jarkiholi have openly said that they would join the BJP after the elections. Added to this, statements by Yeddiyurappa that the Kumaraswami Government would fall after the elections are causing great tension within the Congress.

Though the Congress has said that at least 10 BJP MLAs were in touch with its leadership, this is not cutting much ice in the political circles as defections from the BJP are not that easy. The BJP too has ridiculed these rumours and said that why would anyone leave the BJP when it is all set to form a government both at the Centre as well as in the state.

Meanwhile, former CM Siddaramayya's supporters are claiming that Siddu will become the CM again. They are claiming that he has the maximum support among the MLAs and that the people of Karnataka want him back as CM. It may be recalled that Karnataka is the only south Indian state where the Congress is in power.