Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Jul 8: In a plain and curt message he dispatched to Congress leaders, JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda, said that the government will survive only if the Congress high command and state leaders of the party are honest in making the coalition to survive. He said in no uncertain terms that in case the Congress fails in this objective, he will have no hesitation to part ways with the Congress.
It is said that he reminded the Congress leaders that they were the ones who approached him with the offer of forming the coalition government, promise of making Kumaraswamy the chief minister and to see that he will be the chief minister for the full term. He said he has explained to both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi about later developments in state politics and told them that the survival or otherwise of the coalition arrangements rests in their hands.
He put pointed questions about the resignations tendered by Congress legislators from the city, S T Somashekhar, Muniratna and Byrathi Basavaraj. "You know whose supporters they are. What was the necessity for them to resign? Was this drama preconceived? Why all this happened when the chief minister was away in the USA?" he wanted to know.
It is said that during the discussions, minister D K Shivakumar, provided details of discussions he had with Ramalinga Reddy and three MLAs from the city who have resigned. Deve Gowda reportedly told him that the image of the government has suffered and the blemish will continue to hurt even if the government survives. Shivakumar, however, said that he met Deve Gowda as he could not meet him for long.
State JD(S) president, H K Kumaraswamy, said that efforts to woo back dissident party MLAs is on as most of the legislators from both the parties want the government to survive. Minister, Revanna, said he will toe the line taken by his father, H D Deve Gowda, and brother, H D Kumaraswamy. He however added that Deve Gowda wants the longevity of the coalition government. MP Prajwal Revanna, said that his party MLAs will be convinced to stay with the party and Congress leaders will convince their people. He added that no discussions about leadership change at the state level have taken place.