As Jarkiholis spar, BJP sees a chance

BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa joined a chorus of saffron voices that on Tuesday predicted the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) coalition, even as two key “rebel” legislators announced that they would not desert the Congress.

BJP leaders started issuing statements on the government’s downfall even as polling in the second phase was under way across 14 Lok Sabha segments.

The trigger was Congress rebel MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi saying he would resign from the party. “It is just a question of when,” Ramesh told reporters. The former minister has been disgruntled for quite some time now. He even asked his supporters to campaign for the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls.

Ramesh also launched a scathing attack on his brother, Forest Minister Satish Jarkiholi. He was responding to Satish’s statement that the family’s youngest brother Lakhan would be fielded from Gokak, a constituency Ramesh represents. “He (Satish) is misleading him (Lakhan). He (Satish) appears to have lost his mental balance,” Ramesh said.

Satish said the Congress should immediately take action against Ramesh lest it threatens the coalition government.

“For the past one year, he has been in touch with the BJP and has been dreaming of toppling the government,” Satish said.

The brothers’ spat renewed BJP’s hopes of installing its government in the event the coalition loses the majority. So much so that BJP’s B Sriramulu predicted that disgruntlement in the Congress-JD(S) camp would “explode” soon after the second phase polling.

BJP leaders maintained that a number of disgruntled Congress MLAs would resign. However, two rebels who are Ramesh’s aides — Mahesh Kumathalli (Athani) and B Nagendra (Bellary) — made it clear on Tuesday that they will not quit the Congress. They are facing the threat of disqualification as a petition filed by the Congress is still pending before the Assembly Speaker.

Ramesh is learnt to have been upset with efforts being made to isolate him in the Congress. While Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said the party would reach out to Ramesh KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao was curt: “He is free to take whatever decision he wants.” The Congress is confident that there is no threat to the coalition government as most of the disgruntled legislators have been pacified, sources said.