Bringing the long-standing crisis in Karnataka to rest, four Congress MLAs and one Janata Dal-Secular returned to Bengaluru on Tuesday night.
Influential Belgavi leader Jarkiholi, Umesh Jadhav, Kumathali and Nagendra were issued show cause notices by Congress Legislative Party chief Siddaramaiah after they skipped the CLP meeting in January as well as this month. They had been absent from the budget session of the state assembly as well.
Of the five MLAs, three have spoken to media persons claiming they were not in touch with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and that they were not going to resign and would take part in the assembly session.
JD(S) leader Narayan Gowda told media that he was missing from action due to ill-health. He said that he was being treated for food poisoning in a hospital after speculation over his political move following his absence from the assembly session in Karnataka.
“The BJP can’t and never purchase me. If I want I can bring 10 BJP MLAs. I was admitted in hospital after food poisoning, I have the hospital bills. There will be some internal issues inside the party and we’ll clear it as usual,” Narayana Gowda said to media persons.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA, Umesh Jadhav, said he was back as he would not protest against the word of senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge. Another Congress MLA, Mahesh Kumathalli pitched in the same tune.
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Jarkiholi and Mahesh Kumathahalli, who were untraceable for the past few weeks, wrote to former chief minister Siddaramaiah earlier in January to reiterate their loyalty to the party after they were sent notices for failing to attend a meeting of the CLP.
The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been levelling accusations at each other of poaching legislators in Karnataka where the former, in partnership with the Janata Dal (Secular), runs the state with a majority of seven seats.
