Shobha Karandlaje, MP, claimed in Udupi on Saturday that the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was behind the present crisis. In Mysuru, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V. Sadananda Gowda indirectly alluded to the role of “a prominent Congress leader” in the crisis that has brought the governing coalition to the brink with the resignation of 12 MLAs on Saturday. Mr. Gowda said, “Some of those who have submitted their resignations are very close aides of a prominent leader and they include two MLAs from Bengaluru.”
Claiming that it was not ‘Operation Lotus’, he said, “It is true that we staked claim to form the government when the BJP emerged as the single-largest party and tried to wean away disgruntled elements either in the Congress or the JD(S) in the initial stages after the 2018 Assembly elections.” He added that they had stopped the efforts since then. Ms. Karandlaje, on the other hand, said there were inherent contradictions in the Congress–JD(S) government. “The Congress should have woken up after B.S. Anand Singh, Vijayanagar MLA, resigned. But it did not,” she said.
Mr. Gowda said that BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa would be the Chief Minister if the party was invited to form the government in the wake of the crisis plaguing the Congress–JD(S) government. Mr. Gowda told mediapersons in Mysuru that the BJP national leadership was also in favour of Mr. Yeddyurappa being the Chief Minister and there was no other contender. It was, however, for the Governor and the Speaker to ascertain if the coalition government still commands a majority or not and the single-largest party should be invited to constitute the government, he added.
