Almost a week after legislators left their homes to huddle together at resorts and hotels in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, some legislators had respite on Monday with their family members joining them.
While Janata Dal (Secular) MLAs are currently lodged in a resort near Bengaluru, Congress members are holed up in a star category facility on the city’s outskirts. They may return home post Thursday when Chief Minister-designate H.D. Kumaraswamy is likely to take the floor test to prove majority after being sworn in on Wednesday. Congress sources said that many senior leaders have also gone home, while a majority of those elected from far away places are in the hotel.
“Some legislators’ families visited the resort to meet the members, who have been away from them for a week. Though they were in touch with the members on phone and video calls, visit by their family members gave them some respite,” JD(S) sources said.
Temple run
Meanwhile, Mr. Kumaraswamy, amidst his busy schedule on Monday when he met Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and Bahujan Samaj party supremo Mayawati in Delhi, went on a temple visit spree in Hassan district in the morning. He along with his wife Anita Kumaraswamy visited five temples.
Mr. Kumaraswamy, who arrived at Holenarsipur in a helicopter from Bengaluru, visited Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple in Holenarsipur and later left to Ranganatha Swamy Temple in Ranganth.
He also offered prayers at Eshwara Temple at their native Haradanahalli village and went to Anekereyamma and Deveeramma Temple at Yaliyuru in Channarayapatna before heading to Bengaluru.
“By god’s grace, I have got the opportunity to serve the State. I thought of offering prayers to deities in my place before taking up the responsibility,” he told reporters at Holenarsipur. When asked if he was confident of leading the JD(S)-Congress combine, he said: “I know it’s a tough task but I’m confident of leading the government effectively for five years.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Kumaraswamy is scheduled to visit Dharmasthala and Sringeri.
