Anurag Kumar
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader CT Ravi met with party legislator ST Somashekar on Saturday, amidst rumours of the latter defecting to the Congress, and warned the governing party in Karnataka against any “misadventure”
Ravi, who spoke with Yeshwanthpur MLA Somashekar for more than an hour, stated that the party is prepared to resolve any of the leader’s concerns.
“It is true that he is somewhat dissatisfied, but the situation is not insurmountable. Ravi told reporters in Bengaluru, “From the party’s perspective, we are prepared to resolve the issue, and there is no question of him leaving the party.”
In response to rumours that some party leaders were in conversations with the Congress, the state BJP leadership has been reaching out to party leaders. On Friday, veteran BJP leader BS Yediyurappa gathered Bengaluru-based party legislators. However, Somashekar and Bhyrati Basavaraj, the legislator from KR Pura, were noticeably absent from the meeting.
Yediyurappa had stated following the meeting, “No one will leave the party; we are all intact.” There are one or two individuals. We have also spoken with them. I anticipate that nobody will exit the party.”
This week, Somashekar lauded DK Shivakumar, the state Congress chief and deputy chief minister, as his “political guru,” fueling speculation about his future plans.
Ravi, the former national general secretary of the BJP, also warned the Congress of severe retaliation if it attempted to capture opposition party leaders.
“I would like to inform the members of Congress that you won the election, securing 135 seats, and independents are also supporting your government, so you should concentrate on providing effective administration. If you attempt to do too much, we are familiar with Operation Hasta — the hand, which is the symbol of Congress — (similar to Operation Lotus). “You are aware of the repercussions if we engage in this conduct,” Ravi said.
Congress has a clear majority, so it need not worry about numbers. However, if it attempts to play too much, the situation will deteriorate, so the ruling party should avoid putting itself in such a position.
“You (Congress) have a clear majority, so provide the good governance for which the people voted you into office. If you attempt to do something unnecessary, we are not the type of people who will remain mute, and if we take action — I can say this much — you will not be able to recover… If they (Congress) cross the line, I cannot say what we will do, but you can see and sense it,” he continued.
Ravi’s remarks came amid rumours that the Congress was considering inducting leaders from other parties in the southern state prior to the Lok Sabha elections of 2024.
According to Congress insiders, the party is particularly eager to improve its standing in the Bengaluru North constituency. “It is presently unclear whether any talks have taken place, but these MLAs have provided hints. If three [BJP] MLAs, Byrathi Basavaraj, ST Somashekar, and Munirathna, join the Congress, it would increase the party’s chances of winning in Bengaluru North, a senior Congress leader said on condition of anonymity. The current focus of our efforts is on the Lok Sabha elections.
In the meantime, the agriculture minister of the state, N Cheluvarayaswamy, stated that 10 to 15 opposition leaders from the Janata Dal (Secular) and the BJP will join the Congress in the coming days.
“Their names and numbers will be revealed later,” he told reporters, adding that both current and former legislators are likely to join the Congress.
When asked about the possible return of those who had left the party and joined the BJP, causing the collapse of the then-Congress-JD(S) government, the minister stated that discussions regarding their entry into the party were currently ongoing.
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Friday, state Congress chief Shivakumar stated that the party’s doors were open to those wishing to rejoin. “In politics, anything can happen,” he said in response to a question about whether the party would accept those who desired to return.
