Congress breathes easy as Ramesh faces setback

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday took stock of the “threat” posed by Congress rebel Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is trying hard to shore up support even as three disgruntled legislators seemingly moved away from him.

Kumaraswamy held talks with Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar while Jarkiholi was holed up in his official residence in Bengaluru.

“There’s no threat to the government. We are not in any sense of panic,” Parameshwara told reporters after meeting Kumaraswamy. The three leaders are said to have discussed legislators whom Ramesh is trying to lure into his camp.

Ramesh, whose spat with his minister-brother Satish Jarkiholi has turned ugly, is said to be trying to convince some of the party’s disgruntled legislators to join his side. Ramesh has threatened the party with not only his resignation, but that of others as well.

However, in a setback to Ramesh, Athani MLA Mahesh Kumathalli, Kagwad MLA Shrimant Patil and Hagaribommanahalli MLA Bheema Naik told reporters that they would not quit. In fact, Patil even met Kumaraswamy and is said to have assured him that he will not quit.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao expressed hope that Ramesh would fall in line. “Ramesh’s blood has Congress in it. His DNA is Congress. Let the (Lok Sabha election) result come out on May 23. None of this (disgruntlement) will be there,” he said.