Rumours have it that Karnataka Chief Minister Kumaraswamy’s brother and PWD minister HD Revanna met BJP senior leadership in Bengaluru on Tuesday afternoon, reported Times of India.
A BJP leader present at the meeting confirmed on the condition of anonymity that, “while we are trying to stay out of the entire melee, this difference between the Congress and JD(S) continues to follow us everywhere. The meeting lasted between us for an hour wherein the PWD minister poured out his woes over Congress leadership trying to create trouble for the government.”
It is being believed that the JD(S) is trying to use the BJP to firm its alliance with the Congress and attempting to use this tactic to appear ‘equal’ with the Congress.
With the Lok Sabha elections knocking on the doors, JD(S) wants to send out a strong message to the grand old party that they are unwilling to become the benchwarmer. This move is being speculated as a warning to the Congress MLAs who have been trying to give a hard time to the CM Kumaraswamy and the JD(S).
Meanwhile, BJP members confirmed that the BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa was not present in the meeting as he was unwell through the day and had been resting in his home.
The awkward alliance between the Congress and the JD(S), which was formed in its attempt to keep BJP away from power in Karnataka, started showing signs of estrangements as soon as they got together. Recently Kumaraswamy had expressed his animosity by saying that he is ready to step down since Congress MLAs consider only former chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah as their chief minister.
Earlier also an emotional Kumaraswamy while expressing his unhappiness over Congress’ interference in the functioning of the government had claimed that he was being treated like a clerk instead of a chief minister. Kumaraswamy was also reportedly heard complaining that he is working under “tremendous pressure”.
However, this was not the first time Chief Minister Kumaraswamy has lamented over his discomfort to work with the Congress party. Earlier in July, expressing his unhappiness over the coalition government, Kumaraswamy had cried saying he was unhappy and swallowing the poison of a coalition government.
In fact, JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda had also cited its worker’s complaints regarding the “Big Brother” attitude of Congress, which JD(S) was not very comfortable with.
The rift between Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) has been widening recently as both parties have tried to outdo each other to grapple as much as power in the coalition government. The recent cabinet expansion has further widened the rift, with leaders from both the parties are openly conspiring against each other.
Meanwhile, it is the state which might have to pay the price for being stuck with a government which is nothing but an opportunistic arrangement and clearly have nothing in common.
