BENGALURU: THE possible induction of MLC R B Timmapur into the Cabinet may provide some anxious moments for the Congress, at a time when a report by the BBMP holding him guilty of infractions has been submitted to the Election Commission. Even before the swearing-in ceremony at 5pm on Friday at the Raj Bhavan, the BJP, with a bevy of leaders headed by former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, will meet Governor Vajubhai Vala at 10.30 am. The BJP will submit a memorandum seeking the disqualification of the eight MLCs who have been implicated in the BBMP report.
The MLCs, including Timmapur, are accused of providing false information on their residential address in order to vote in the BBMP polls and claiming travel allowance by submitting fake bills.
The decision to induct Timmapur is said to have been met with apprehensions in the Congress, including that of KPCC president G Parameshwara. Sources in the Congress said that some had expressed reservations about his inclusion as there could be a chance he could run into trouble, if grounds for his disqualification were found valid and advised Siddaramaiah as such, but the Chief Minister prevailed.
Congress leaders admitted that it would no doubt prove to be a headache for the Congress as BJP is going to capitalise heavily on this. “But we have to see whether there is a legal issue there.
Many leaders across all parties give different addresses than their original ones as they are inevitably moving to Bengaluru. Even Venkaiah Naidu was enrolled here as a voter. But that does not mean that he was giving his travel allowance bills with Bengaluru as the point of origin. There could be question of impropriety, but we do not think there are any grounds for disqualification,” a senior Congress functionary said.