Bengaluru: Mocking Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its failed attempt to upstage the Janata Dal (S)-Congress coalition government, members and workers of the state Congress organised a rally at Maurya Circle in Bengaluru at 11 AM on Thursday, January 17.
Congress Minister U T Khader said, “I am sure it won’t be successful. The coalition government will become stronger with each attempt to take power.”
Despite news that the two independent MLAs, R Shankar and H Nagesh have withdrawn their support for the coalition government, Khader along with other Congress leaders at the rally remained confident that no Congress MLA will withdraw support to the coalition government and maintained that all of them will attend the party legislature meeting scheduled to be held on Friday, January 18, in Bengaluru.
“Siddaramaiah has called for a meeting and we will resolve any issue with the disgruntled MLAs”, Khader said.
During the protest that lasted over an hour, Congress workers arrived with flags and chanted slogans against the BJP. Party workers were seen sporting masks of BJP leaders Sriramulu, Yeddyurappa, Shobha Karandlaje, Eshwarappa and they also displayed several posters mocking BJP leaders.
Congress leaders Jayamala, Eshwar Khandre, U T Khader and B K Hariprasad took part in the protest.
Congress MP B K Hariprasad said, “This is an artificial crisis created by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Antics like this will make people lose interest in politics.”
There were also rumours that B Nagendra, MLA of Ballari Rural constituency was holding talks with the BJP.
Denying the allegations, Nagendra said, “We were all at different places. That’s all. Some people have been saying we will join the BJP. Don’t believe them. I will attend the legislative party meeting tomorrow. No one is joining the BJP.”
The Congress is set to have a meeting with all its MLAs from Karnataka on Friday to discuss recent political developments and put any news of instability in the government to rest. Meanwhile, BJP leaders who were camped in a hotel in Gurgaon are now returning to the state due the health condition of 111-year-old Lingayat Seer Shivakumara Swamy of the Siddaganga Matt in Tumakuru.
Picture Courtesy: The News Minute
