Anxiety hangs heavy over Guj MLAs’ retreat
BENGALURU: The raids on Karnataka Energy minister D K Shivakumar’s properties and his room at Eagleton Resort have hit the morale of the 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs huddled in the resort. With the raids continuing on Thursday too, tension and anxiety was palpable in the resort. Two of the Gujarat MLAs were taken to a private hospital with complaints of fever and breathlessness while many others are keen to return home.
Jyotiba Patel and Raju Parmar were taken to BGS GlenEagles Global Hospital in Kengeri on Thursday afternoon after they complained of uneasiness, believed to be due to BP and blood sugar-related problems. “The two MLAs have been hospitalised with fever. One of them has a history of cardiac-related ailments and hence is being kept under observation,” hospital sources said.
As the MLAs are tense, two doctors have been deployed at the resort to attend to any medial needs of the MLAs, a senior state Congress leader told Express.
Ahmed Patel, Parameshwara give pep talk to MLAs
With Shivakumar, who had taken the responsibility of the MLAs’ security and hospitality, unavailable at the resort for the time being, the morale of the MLAs has taken a beating.
According to state Congress sources, Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, spoke to the MLAs over phone to calm frayed nerves. “Patel is in constant touch with the MLAs over phone to boost their confidence,” the sources said.
However, the raid seems to have unnerved the Gujarat MLAs as many of them are said to have expressed their desire to return home as they are getting calls from their worried family members. Some of the MLAs visited a temple in a corner of the resort premises to offer prayers for an early end to the ongoing political drama.
KPCC president G Parameshwara too visited the resort later in the evening and interacted with the MLAs to keep them in good spirits.
Speaking to reporters later, he said, “We will take care of the security of the MLAs. No one has expressed their desire to go home.”
Parameshwara also said that one of the MLAs was taken to hospital for fever and has since returned to the resort after getting medical attention.
Earlier in the day, Parameshwara met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and discussed the possible effects of the raids in the state and measures to be taken to counter it. The possibility of similar raids on a few more ministers’ premises was also discussed, it is learnt.
When asked about reports of more ministers in the “I-T hit list”, Parameshwara told reporters he was not aware of it. He also said the party will chalk out plans for protests against “the vendetta politics of BJP” and to counter the BJP’s game plan.