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Kaqrnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday denied that his government was facing any threat.
Responding to a question on the Congress MLAs who are staying in a Mumbai hotel, the Karnataka CM said that he was in touch with everybody.
"MLAs(Congress MLAs in Mumbai hotel) are unreachable to the media, not to me, I am in touch with everybody and I am speaking to everybody, they will come back. Our coalition is going on smoothly. I was relaxed and I am relaxed. Don't worry, be happy," Kumaraswamy was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
An element of uncertainty is lingering over the future of the Karnataka government amid reports that six Congress MLAs may resign from the Assembly on Wednesday.
Presently, Six disgruntled Congress MLAs-- Umesh Jadhav, Mahesh K, B Nagendra, Ganesh, Pratap Gowda Patil and Ramesh Jarkiholi --are camping in a hotel in Mumbai, according to the BJP camp.
These six MLAs are likely to hold a meeting today to decide their future course of action, according to sources.
Also Read | Karnataka: Congress, BJP heading for showdown as political crisis deepens in state
These Congress MLAs may resign both from the Assembly as well as the Congress, the sources added.
On Tuesday, Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar emphasised that the state government is “stable” and will complete its full term.
“Government is stable. It will run for full five years under the leadership of CM HD Kumaraswamy,” ANI quoted Shivakumar as saying.
On Monday too, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy rubbished reports that his government is under “threat". He also attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that he knows who all the saffron party is "trying to contact".
"All 3 of them (Congress MLAs) are continuously in contact with me. They went to Mumbai after informing me. My govt isn't under any threat. I know who all BJP is trying to contact & what they're offering. I can handle it, why should media be concerned?" he questioned.
On Sunday, Shivakumar, state Water Resource Minister, alleged that the BJP’s 'Operation Lotus' to topple the coalition government in Karnataka was for real and added three MLAs of the Congress party were camping in a hotel in Mumbai in the "company of some BJP leaders".
"Horse trading is going on in the state. Three of our MLAs are in Mumbai in a hotel with some BJP MLAs and leaders. We are aware of what has transpired there and how much has been offered to them," he said.
Operation Lotus is a reference to the BJP allegedly luring several opposition MLAs to defect to ensure stability of its then-government headed by BS Yeddyurappa in Karnataka in 2008.
Shivakumar, who had earned the reputation of being a "trouble-shooter" in the Congress for bailing out the party from many crises in the past, accused Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of being "lenient" towards the BJP.
"The chief minister is adopting a policy of wait and watch. If I was in his place, I would have exposed it within 24 hours," Shivakumar said.
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress state president Dinesh Gundu Rao were aware of the development, the minister further said.
Shivakumar, however, exuded confidence that the BJP would not succeed in its attempt.
Making an apparent reference to the Opposition BJP in the state, he said, "You have been saying that a 'kranti' (revolution) may happen after Makar Sankranti. Let us see. It is not so easy because there is already anti-defection law in place, but we are aware of what you are hinting at.”
The water resources minister also wondered why the income tax department and the anti-corruption bureau failed to initiate any action on a complaint by Dinesh Gundu Rao on the matter.
"We do not know what progress these two agencies have made so far but sitting on the complaint by a political party is not good," he said.
Many Congress MLAs in the southern state have alleged that they were approached by the BJP leaders to quit their party and join them.
Trashing the charges, the saffron party said the coalition partners were hiding their shortcomings and internal strife by making false accusations at the opposition.
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(With inputs from agencies)
