Ashok Kheny, Bidar South MLA and businessman, joined the Congress on Monday, amid strong reservations from within the party and attacks from the Opposition.
He joined the party in the presence of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwara and campaign committee chairperson D.K. Shivakumar, by merging his Karnataka Makkala Paksha with the Congress.
Mr. Kheny is the Managing Director of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Ltd. (NICE), the implementing agency of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project that is facing allegations of irregularities. A 11-member House committee set up to look into this had come out with a 391-page report that recommended a probe by the CBI or the Enforcement Directorate. The committee, headed by Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra, had also recommended dropping of about 1,160 acres of both private and government lands acquired for the project. The government is yet to act on the recommendations.
Welcoming Mr. Kheny into the party, Mr. Parameshwara said that the government “will not violate rules in favour of Mr. Kheny.” He said that Mr. Kheny was joining the Congress without any preconditions and it would help strengthen the party in Bidar district.
MLA’s oppose move
However, several Congress MLAs have opposed Mr. Kheny’s induction. S.T. Somashekar, Yeshwantpur MLA, said he was opposed to it in the context of the House committee report on the alleged irregularities in the BMIC project still pending before the government for action. “I’m also a member of the committee. A few other MLAs have also contacted me regarding this. We got to know about this development from the media. I will meet the KPCC president and express my opposition,” he said.
However, ruling out differences within the party over the issue, Mr. Shivakumar said all party leaders, especially from Bidar district, had been consulted before the induction. “His business has nothing to do with our party or politics. He may be the director at NICE, but NICE has nothing to do with politics. We are not inducting NICE into the party and will not allow anyone to misuse power. Law will take its course,” said Mr. Shivakumar.
Later, speaking to reporters, Mr. Kheny refused to comment on the report and claimed that most Congress leaders were with him.
