The Congress has said that the party will not be moving any of its MLAs to a resort until the election result is announced on Saturday, May 13. The party’s senior leadership held two crucial meetings, one on Thursday, May 11 and another on Friday, May 12. TNM has learnt from highly-placed sources that the Congress has such a plan in place but will not execute it until the results are announced.
The important meeting on Friday took place at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence, which was also attended by senior leaders DK Shivakumar and Siddharamaiah. Though the Congress party has decided not to move its MLAs to a resort, the party has a plan in place but it will be activated only after the results are announced. One Congress leader told TNM that they are in constant touch with MLAs and have a list of ‘vulnerable’ MLAs who are already in talks with the BJP.
Earlier while speaking to TNM, KPCC President DK Shivakumar had exuded confidence about winning a majority. He had said there will be no resort politics after the Assembly election results are declared, as the Congress party has selected loyal candidates. In an exclusive interview with TNM, DK Shivakumar had said, “Not a single MLA will move out of our camp.” He alleged that Congress MLAs who had defected to the BJP in 2019, thereby helping pull down the JD(S)-Congress government, wanted to return, but were being threatened to stay back. “We also said that at any point in time, we will not take them back,” he said.
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Following exit polls predicting fractured mandate in Karnataka, the JD(S) is all set to play the role of a kingmaker in the formation of the government. With national parties -- Congress and BJP -- allegedly preparing to poach MLAs and making strategies to hijack them before the counting, JD(S) is concerned about keeping its flock together.
Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda is personally strategizing and his son, former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy is operating and closely monitoring the situation in the state from Singapore. Kumaraswamy had flown to Singapore after the polling for relaxation.