Karnataka power politics tussle stoops to a new low

Bengaluru,10 July(HS): The tussle for retaining and assuming political power in the state of Karnataka has stooped to a new low unheard of so far with the political morale getting stuck up on the street drain.

Today appeared to be a crucial day in terms of hectic turnout of political developments, both to the ruling Janata Dal-Secular-Indian National Congress combine and Bharatiya Janata Party, the main opposition party.

DK Shivakumar, former state Major Irrigation Minister and Man Friday of the coalition JDS-INC parties suffered a setback as he was prevented entry to the luxury hotel where some Congress and JDS legislators are holed up.

In fact he was on a mission to persuade the former legislator colleagues to win them back to the party fold. He was denied entry by the policemen in spite of having booked a room in the same hotel.He was also informed by the police on duty that his booking has been cancelled.

A reluctant Shivakumar, refused to budge and continued to stay put at the pathway to the hotel accompanied by GT Devegowda, another former minister colleague belonging to the JDS. Both of them remained there in protest until they were evacuated by the police on the pretext of violating prohibitory orders.

Meanwhile the issue also led to angry protests from Congress and other opposition party members in the Parliament while JDS and Congress leaders and workers took to the streets condemning the treatment meted out to their colleagues in Mumbai.

HD Devegowda, former prime minister and JDS supremo, Gulam Nabi Azad, senior Congress leader, Siddaramaiah, former chief minister and a host of many a leader addressed the protest meeting trading charges against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government for the crisis in the alliance government.

The Bharatiya Janata Party was also quick enough to counter the move and organized a protest meeting to ‘condemn the adamant’ attitude of the power partners to stick to power, although it had lost majority in the Assembly.

Late in the afternoon Dr K Sudhakar, Chikkaballapur Congress MLA and MTB Nagaraj, Hoskote Congress MLA and former minister submitted their resignations to the speaker KR Rameshkumar. But the submission was not all that simple!

Dr K Sudhakar was prevented from proceeding towards the chambers of the speaker by angry Congress workers and a few former Congress ministers. He was also forcibly taken to the chambers of KJ George, former minister for ‘counselling’ by Siddaramaiah, leader of the Congress legislature party.

But the meeting turned out to be futile exercise while the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders alleged the alliance partners of intimidating the legislators who have resolved to quit on their own.

The high drama went to a alarming situation when the wife of Dr K Sudhakar complained of her husband being forcibly prevented from resigning.

On the instructions of Vajubhai Vala, Governor of the state, the City Police Commissioner rushed to Vidhana Soudha, the seat of power to rescue the Congress MLA.

Meanwhile HD Kumaraswamy, chief minister who had remained incommunicado for most part of the day emerged out from hiding in the evening and met his father HD Devegowda and had confabulations on the turn of the events.

Till late in the evening the political situation continued to remain confused and complex with no clear cut indication on the final outcome.