As fear of poaching of newly-elected MLAs loomed large, both the Congress and JD(S) were planning their moves. While the Congress had first thought of moving its members to a resort in Kerala by special flights on Thursday, there was a change of plan late at night. It was decided that the MLAs would go by road to Hyderabad. On the other hand, JD(S) leaders decided to take their legislators to Kochi, in Kerala, by bus.
A sense of nervousness prevailed over the Congress and Janata Dal (S) camps hours after the swearing-in of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.
With the Congress finding it increasingly difficult to keep its flock together, with a couple of members remaining unreachable, the party decided to shift all elected members from Eagleton Resort at Bidadi on the outskirts of the city to Kochi in Kerala at first.
The conspicuous absentees from the Congress are two newly-elected members Anand Singh and Pratapgouda Patil. Rajashekar Patil from Humnabad is said to have left the Eagleton Resort citing health issues, and has not returned.
Strategy to outwit BJP
JD(S) legislature party leader H.D. Kumaraswamy met his party MLAs in the evening. When he learnt that at least five MLAs-elect have been contacted by the BJP camp seeking their support, the plan to flight out was hatched.
Senior leaders of the newly-stitched Congress and JD(S) alliance huddled together a couple of times during the day after a three-hour-long protest over BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa’s swearing-in ceremony, and took a pledge to defeat the BJP government on the floor of the Assembly.
The Congress has assigned the job of keeping the Lingayat/Veerashiava elected members united to party veteran and five-time legislator Shamanur Shivashankarappa, who is also the president of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, a representative body of the Lingayat/Veerashaiva community.
Between the two parties, there are over 15 elected members belonging to the Lingayat/Veerashaiva commmunity.
Top leaders comprising former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, State Congress Chief G. Parameshwara and D.K. Shivakumar held a closed-door meeting with elected members. Sources said Congress president Rahul Gandhi had a telephonic conversation with H.D. Deve Gowda and told him the necessity of remaining united.
Hours after taking oath as Chief Minister, Mr. Yeddyurappa came down heavily on those hoarding MLAs in resorts. “I have received intelligence reports of the harassment of Congress- JD(Secular) MLAs hoarded in a private resort. Their mobile phones have been snatched away and they are not even being allowed to call home. This is nothing but goondagiri . They may be Congress-JD(S) MLAs, but they are also citizens of the State that I am responsible for,” he said.
Minutes later police security to Eagleton Resort, Bidadi was withdrawn and Ramanagaram SP B Ramesh was shunted out. K Annamalai who was SP, Chikkamagaluru replaced him.
Mr Shivakumar who has taken the lead to hold on to the MLAs at the resort said that this was only natural and they did not need any police protection for the resort and Congress workers would guard the resort.
