BENGALURU: Three days before the trust vote in the assembly, Congress leaders seem to be making efforts to woo their rebel MLAs, who are currently staying in a hotel in Mumbai, while they are also discussing the prospects of sitting in opposition and strengthening the party.
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy will seek trust vote in the assembly on Thursday morning.
According to a senior Congress leader, various options available before the party were discussed during the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting held at a private hotel in Bengaluru on Monday morning and also during deliberations held in the evening.
In the CLP meeting, some legislators said to have told their leaders that even if the government survives Thursday’s trust vote it is going to be a temporary arrangement and the party needs to be prepared to sit in opposition.
“We discussed all options available before the party. We hope that some rebel MLAs, who have resigned and are staying in Mumbai due to some differences within our party will return and support the government to win the trust vote,” said a senior Congress leader.
Some MLAs also expressed displeasure over the turn of events that led to resignations by 13 Congress legislators, which pushed the government to the brink of collapse.
Sources said some leaders even questioned the party leaders’ decision to act against the rebel MLAs, who have not indulged in any anti-party activities, but have resigned from the assembly membership, upset over the coalition government’s failure to take them into confidence.
“It was suggested that all efforts should be made to convince our MLAs to come back and attend the session, before initiating any action against them. Action should be taken against them only if they fail to support the government during the trust vote,” a source said.
The Congress has issued a whip to all its MLAs, including those who have resigned and warned them of taking stern action, including disqualification if they fail to attend the session.
The rebel MLAs, however, have made it clear that they are not attending the session.
The CLP meeting chaired by Siddaramaiah was attended by AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka KC Venugopal, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao, KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre, Deputy CM G Parameshwara and all party MLAs.
However, rebel MLAs, including Ramalinga Reddy stayed away from the CLP meeting.