BELAGAVI: A group of disgruntled Congress legislators headed by former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi which has planned to resign from the assembly continues to keep the party leadership on the tenterhooks, even as the party’s senior leaders are desperately trying to stop them from taking the extreme political step.
The Congress leadership reached out to almost all the disgruntled leaders on Monday in wake of the decision taken by Jarkiholi on Sunday to resign from the legislative assembly.
According to his close associate, Jarkiholi decided to hold a meeting with disgruntled Congress MLAs in Bengaluru on Tuesday in his “last ditch” attempt to make them resign from the assembly. “I am aware of the lucrative offers made to the disgruntled group by the BJP a few months ago.
The MLAs had made up their mind to move out of the Congress by resigning from the assembly at least three months ago after they had a meeting with a group of BJP leaders.However, the rebel Congress group will take a crucial decision at its meeting tomorrow,’’ he added.Sources in the Congress said the party has been able to convince most of the disgruntled leaders except Jarkiholi and is confident that none of them would resign.
Including Jarkiholi, none of the disgruntled leaders responded to phone calls on Monday seeking their reactions to the development. Jarkiholi’s associates have been able to bring most of the disgruntled Congress legislators to Bengaluru for Tuesday’s meeting.
“Many of them are upset with the way Congress high command denied positions to them in the government and the party. Efforts are being made by party seniors to stop them from revolting will not materialise,’’ they said. However, sources said, some seniors are in constant touch with the rebels since Monday morning.