Cong-JDS coordination committee meet today

Team Udayavani, Jan 24, 2019, 4:50 AM IST

Bengaluru: Karnataka’s ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition coordination committee is scheduled to meet today (Thursday), amid chinks in the alliance and an alleged bid by the BJP to dislodge the H D Kumaraswamy government.

The meeting gains significance as it comes days after political turmoil that also saw Congress, the senior partner, herd its MLAs to a resort to shield them from BJP’s alleged poaching bid, where two law makers entered into a brawl, causing embarrassment to the government.

The coalition government’s coordination committee meeting, chaired by Siddaramaiah (committee Chairman), is scheduled to take place today(Thursday) at 5 PM, Siddaramaiah’s office said in a statement.

Sources said that the meeting is expected to discuss the upcoming state budget, preparations for the Lok Sabha polls and recent political developments that include the alleged bid by the BJP to topple the government and disgruntlement within the Congress.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who also holds the Finance portfolio, is scheduled to present the coalition government’s second budget on February 8 and the coordination committee is expected to primarily discuss it.

Recently in an interview to PTI, Kumaraswamy had said that he would fulfil his Rs 46,000-crore loan waiver commitment made to farmers “completely” in the budget.

The coordination committee is likely to start preliminary discussions on seat sharing for the Lok Sabha polls and preparations, the sources said.

As the negotiations on seat sharing have already been delayed, the two parties are likely to discuss the procedures to be adapted and fix the timeline to arrive at a decision.

Four dissidents Friday skipped the Congress Legislature Party meeting that was meant to be a show of strength against BJP’s alleged toppling bid.

The absentee MLAs have been served show cause notices, asking why action should not be taken against them under the Anti-Defection Law.

Congress in Karnataka Monday suspended its MLA J N Ganesh, who was also slapped with a case of attempt to murder by police based on the complaint by Anand Singh.

Meanwhile, there is also growing demand to expand the coordination committee by inducting state presidents on both Congress and JD(S) into it.

JD(S) state president Vishwanath Wednesday said the coordination committee was incomplete without state presidents of alliance partners in it.

However, Pradesh Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao has said that the party has to decide on his inclusion into the committee.

According to reports, Siddaramaiah is not in favour of Vishwanath coming on board as both don’t enjoy a cordial relationship anymore, as the former Chief Minister suspects the JD(S) chief of having worked for his defeat inChamundeshwari in Mysuru during the assembly polls.

The coordination committee comprises Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC chief G Parameshwara, Siddaramaiah, Congress General Secretary Venugopal and JD(S) Secretary General Danish Ali.

While Siddaramaiah is the chairman, Ali is the convener of the coalition coordination and monitoring committee.