BENGALURU: The Congress leadership seems to have had enough of its legislators’ tantrums, especially as some MLAs’ impromptu trips are leading to more speculation. AICC general secretary and Karnataka in-charge K C Venugopal on Sunday issued a warning to MLAs looking to create trouble for the party that blackmail tactics would not be tolerated.
“As far as the party is concerned, we have confidence in our MLAs. But if anybody is misusing (their post), the party is strong enough to tackle it. Threatening or blackmailing is unacceptable. We know the ground realities. If there are independent incidents, we will verify them,” he said while briefing the press after a meeting of all district unit presidents and office-bearers.
Venugopal’s stern message comes in the wake of speculation over three MLAs visiting Tamil Nadu on Saturday and at a time when party insiders claim that a section of dissenting MLAs, including the Jarkiholi brothers, want G Parameshwara replaced as the deputy chief minister.
Shortly after this statement, Venugopal met M T B Nagaraj, a dissenting MLA aspiring to be inducted in the state cabinet. A day after their impromptu trip to Tamil Nadu, Sudhakar and M T B Nagaraj clarified that they had no intentions of leaving the party.
Amid worries of a cabinet expansion fuelling further dissent in the party, minister Shivananda Patil on Sunday said that he was willing to resign from the cabinet if asked by the high command.Venugopal’s warning also comes in the background of some senior party leaders deeming the attempt of some MLAs to pressurise the party as mere posturing.