BJP MLAs' exodus on cards? Cong to exploit Saffron inertia

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: Is the Karnataka BJP set to witness an exodus from its ranks with many top leaders exploring greener pastures in the ruling Congress party?

Sources say a growing number of sitting and former MLAs are quietly planning to defect to the Congress, enticed by the promise of better prospects and renewed political relevance, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

They are disappointed over the fact that the BJP top brass has been unable to select a Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly or a state president to replace Nalin Kumar Kateel, who many complain, has proved to be ineffective in galvanising the party during the Assembly polls.

Leading the pack is former minister V. Somanna, who has emerged as a vocal critic of his party, openly voicing his discontent with the BJP leadership which he claims, damaged his political career.

Somanna bemoans the party's decision to field him from two constituencies — Varuna in Mysuru district and Chamarajanagar City — despite his persistent pleas to be allowed to contest from Govindarajanagar from where he was elected to the Assembly several times.

He lost from both Varuna and Chamarajnagar City. Former minister and Yesvantpur MLA S.T. Somashekar is another of the fencesitters who has dipomatically refrained from criticizing the Congress government, citing its relatively short tenure of just three months.

Somashekar's ambigous stance, coupled with his leniency towards Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, signals an impending return to the grand old party. Shivakumar has made no secret of his strategic intent to draw BJP leaders to the Congress fold.

"This operation seeks to attract disenchanted and disgruntled sitting and former legislators from the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular),'' he had said.

Congress overtures to BJP and JD(S) MLAs in the run-up to the critical Lok Sabha polls have triggered panic within the opposition. Both parties are working diligently to safeguard their members from poaching.

While CM Siddaramaiah has taken a principled stance against poaching of MLAs, Shivakumar is reportedly for it and more so because of his resentment towards the BJP, which had ensured his incarceration at Tihar Jail in a financial impropriety case.