BENGALURU: Ahead of Tuesday’s counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections, the three major parties in the state spent Sunday drawing up strategies as they foresee political challenges locally once the results are declared.
Although exit polls predict a sweeping victory for the BJP-led NDA, the Congress-led INDIA bloc is confident of securing 295-plus seats.Yet, several seniors have more than an inkling of doubt and have suggested the party prepare a strategy to counter NDA alliance efforts to destabilize the state govt.
A closed-door meeting was held in the morning, and chief minister Siddaramaiah later chaired a Congress Legislature Party meeting to discuss the June 13 legislative council polls from the assembly. It is learned that the CM and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, tried to motivate legislators while discussing the prevailing political scenario.
“We are confident INDIA will form the govt at the Cen-tre by winning more than 295 seats. Just as with the 2023 assembly elections, exit polls will be proven wrong,” said GC Chandrashekhar, KPCC working president. “But we are aware of BJP-JD(S) plans to pull down our govt, and we don’t want to be complacent. They will not succeed as all our MLAs are united and loyal. On the other hand, a few MLAs from BJP and JD(S) are keen on joining us.”
BJP MLAs ST Somashekar and A Shivaram Hebbar are openly hobnobbing with Congress, and Industries Minister MB Patil said 13 to 19 JD(S) MLAs are willing to join Congress.
Infighting and dissent
However, recent developments within Congress, which saw seniors from the Siddaramaiah camp seeking to replace Shivakumar as state president and a groupof MLAs holding meetings to demand a cabinet reshuffle, have been a cause for concern. Siddaramaiah is likely to meet with MLAs soon to commemorate his govt completing a year in office and release developmental funds for their constituencies.
Dissent, though, is not limited to Congress. There have been upheavals in the state unit of BJP too, with organizational general secretary GV Rajesh beingsacked last week. Sources say the churning will continue regardless of Lok Sabha poll results. Several resent the leadership of state president BY Vijayendra, and this is expected to deepen as his father, BJP parliamentary board member BS Yediyurappa, is set to move to the sidelines.
Yet, the threat to the Congress government remains as sources say some functionaries are working on ‘Operation Lotus’, although this was publicly stoutly denied. “The govt will fall on its own because of the internal conflicts of that party. Our focus is on forming the government at the Centre,” said N Ravikumar, whom the BJP on Sunday named as MLC candidate for a second term.
Results crucial for JD(S)
JD(S), facing turbulence for many reasons including a sex scandal involving Prajwal Revanna, is also keenly awaiting results as it hopes to win all three seats it contested. It has convened a legislature party and a core committee meeting on Monday. “Congress is plotting to smash our party. But we will emerge stronger as we are set to win all three seats,” said KA Tippeswamy, senior JD(S) MLC.