Metrolife: Coalition MLAs’ resort days will continue till Thursday

The BJP has given up on forming a government in Karnataka, and last week’s political storm has blown over, but most JD(S) and Congress legislators are yet to go home. They have been told they can’t till a vote of confidence is held on Thursday.

The two parties are jubilant they have outsmarted the BJP and a coalition chief minister will take oath on Wednesday, but their leaders are not taking any chances yet.

On Sunday night, JD(S) MLAs were driven from Le Meridien, in the heart of the city, to Prestige Golfshire in Devanahalli. That’s about 25 km away, and near the airport. Earlier, they had been at the Shangri-La.

For four days, Congress MLAs have been at the Hilton, a hotel inside Embassy Golf Links Business Park near the Domlur flyover.

A day before the swearing-in ceremony of the new government, Metrolife spoke to MLAs of the two parties.

A young Congress leader said the MLAs were in a huddle most of the time. “Our priority is to ensure we have a good cabinet and a stable government in place,” he said. Congress MLAs discussed many things as they sat waiting for the crisis to pass, but were particularly rankled when they couldn’t fly to Kochi.

“We felt like we were stuck in the World War II era, or under an authoritarian regime. This amounted to a direct threat from the prime minister,” a Congress MLA said. Senior leaders remained composed, and had a Plan B in place, but the younger lot were furious.

Temple visit
The mood in the JD (S) camp was relaxed, and the MLAs’ only regret was that they couldn’t go to their constituencies and offer prayers before the swearing-in. “I wanted to visit a temple in my hometown of Nanjangud because it is a crucial day for us on Wednesday, but that will have to wait,” a leader said. He said the resort and hotel confinement was no big deal. “Many of us are farmers’ children and we are used to all kinds of hardship,” he said.

Do your math. This is how much hotel stay costs

Le Meridien, opp Golf Club

Single: Rs 6,500

Double: Rs 7,500

Single suite: Rs 12,000

Double suite: Rs 14,000

Breakfast: Rs 1,950

Lunch: Rs 1,450.

Dinner: Rs 1,650

Shangri-La Hotel

Bangalore view: Rs 10,833

Panorama view: Rs 11,333

Club room: Rs 11,833

Suite: Rs 17,333

Breakfast: Rs 780

Lunch: Rs 1,250

Dinner: Rs 1,650\

Eagleton The Golf Resort

Room rates at Eagleton are Rs 4,500, Rs 5,000, Rs 5,500 and Rs 6,000 and Rs 6,500 for various categories of rooms.

Breakfast buffet per head: Rs 450 +taxes.

Lunch buffet per head: Rs 800+taxes.

Dinner buffet per head: Rs 800+taxes

Techies stopped and frisked

Close to 40 software companies and a couple of hotels are housed in Embassy Golf Links Business Park, off the Intermediate Ring Road in Domlur.

Congress MLAs are staying at the Hilton Hotel there. On Monday and Tuesday, many techies were stopped and frisked at the entrance.

Roshan Jacob, financial consultant: “I showed an ID card from a company not located in the business park, and they still let me in.”

Senthil Kumar, product design engineer: “I was taken by surprise when I saw so many policemen and TV crews in front of EGL. I thought something had gone wrong. I was frisked and my identity card was scrutinised before I was let in.”\

11 tense days
Elections: May 12.
Results: May 15. BJP emerges single largest party.
Governor invites BJP to form government.
Yeddyurappa sworn in as chief minister on May 17.
Supreme Court orders floor test on May 19.
Yeddyurappa resigns ahead of floor test.
Congress and JD (S) stake claim.
H D Kumaraswamy set to take oath as new chief minister on May 23.

Haris’ potter

On Monday, Shanthinagar MLA N A Haris was out on M G Road, dropping by at the Deccan Herald office. Metrolife wondered how he was roaming free when his colleagues were in confinement. “Why should I be afraid? Even if the BJP offers me the chief minister’s post, I won’t defect,” he said.

Security guards at hotel relieved

After the MLAs left Le Meridien on Monday, the most relieved were the hotel’s security staff.
“The weekend was hell, with so many people coming in from faraway places. They brought gifts and bouquets to greet the MLAs and we had a hard time keeping them out,” a guard said. Traffic police had an equally tough time managing traffic. They will be among those who will now heave a sigh of relief.