Panel to meet on Aug 31 to sort out coalition issues

The coordination and monitoring committee of the coalition government is likely to meet on August 31 in Bengaluru to sort out growing differences among leaders of two parties, JD(S) and Congress.

The meeting assumes significance in the wake of adverse statements by Congress leader Siddaramaiah and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy. While the Congress leader said he would become chief minister again, Kumaraswamy openly complained that efforts were being made to destabilise his government.

Siddaramaiah is the chairman of the committee. Kumaraswamy, JD(S) leader Danish Ali, AICC general secretary incharge of Karnataka K C Venugopal and deputy chief minister G Parameshwara are its other members.

Kumaraswamy has also issued a veiled threat to the Congress, saying the party high command should sort out all state issues in the interest of the anti-BJP front at the national level. .

Many of the close followers of Siddaramaiah in the Congress have stated that they want their leader back as chief minister, leading to confusions. Though Kumaraswamy later sought to clarify that he was not complaining against Siddaramaiah, JD(S) state president A H Vishwanath has accused the Congress leader of being troublemaker and irritant in the coalition government.

Besides, about a dozen Congress legislators are planning to attend the AKKA Kannada meet in the US. The event is scheduled to be held between August 31 and September 2.

S T Somashekar, Byrati Basavaraj, Byrati Suresh, Munirathna and Zameer Ahmed Khan are among the legislators attending the event. This is interpreted in political circles as an effort to destabilise the government.

But sources in the Congress said these legislators had planned their visit to the US much in advance and it had got nothing to do with the government.

This apart, the committee is likely to discuss appointment of heads to various boards and corporations, the sources said.