A day after an alleged brawl between two Congress MLAs, all the legislators left the resort on Monday. The party had kept its flock together guarding itself from the alleged poaching moves of the BJP. Some of the legislators left for their home constituencies, while others set off to the Siddaganga Mutt (after the demise of the seer), post a “pep talk” by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah.
The alleged brawl between B.S. Anand Singh (Vijaynagar MLA) and J.N. Ganesh (Kampli MLA) early on Sunday at the resort left the former injured. He was later admitted in a private hospital in Bengaluru.
Realising the embarrassment that the episode has brought to the party, the Congress on Monday suspended Mr. Ganesh and set up a three-member committee, comprising Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, Industries Minister K.J. George and RDPR Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to inquire into the issue. Meanwhile, an FIR has also been filed on the basis of the statement given by Mr. Singh to the Bidadi police.
Speaking to mediapersons, Mr. Ganesh admitted that there was a brawl, but added that it did not quite go the way it has been reported. He said he and his family will apologise to Mr. Singh.
Notwithstanding the embarrassment, will this ugly turn of events actually benefit the party in the long run? Party sources said it may actually help the party in reining in Mr. Ganesh and a few others like him, who had raised a banner of revolt. “With the BJP continuously attempting to destabilise the government, this episode may actually work in favour of the party,” said a senior leader.
K.C. Venugopal, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka, told The Hindu that the entire sequence of events — starting from the BJP herding its MLAs to a resort in Gurugram and the subsequent developments — are in fact a “blessing in disguise” for the party.
“The party has taken this very seriously. The four who did not turn up for the CLP have been issued show-cause notices and the Kampli MLA has been suspended. Any indiscipline or anti-party activities will not be tolerated and the party high command is very clear about this. We are confident that our MLAs will stay united irrespective of any kind of luring by the BJP,” he said.
KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao, who addressed the media after the MLAs left the resort, said: “Initially, we came over here to fight any attempt to destabilise our government by the BJP. There is a serious attempt even now being made by the BJP to pull down our government. But we are confident that our government is safe, secure, strong, and stable and we will be able to fight this desperate attempt by the BJP. We all visited the hospital and met our colleague Mr. Singh. I wish him a speedy recovery. Today, we are leaving from here with confidence.”
Sources said the party has entrusted senior district in-charge Ministers with the task of “keeping an eye” on those who are on the poaching list of the BJP. “We have also asked our MLAs to henceforth record all phone calls that they may receive from the BJP side in an attempt to lure them to shift loyalties,” the sources added.