To save govt, HD Kumaraswamy reaches out to dissidents

BENGALURU: Ahead of the crucial Congress legislature party (CLP) meeting on May 29 and in a desperate bid to save his government from falling, Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday met the confidante of dissident Congress leader Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumatalli, who is also an MLA of the party.
Kumaraswamy's efforts to pacify the rebels came on a day when former Congress MLA KN Rajanna struck a discordant note saying the coalition government will "collapse after June 10". Rajanna also blamed the defeat of CM's father and JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda in Tumakuru on deputy CM and Congress leader G Parameshwara. The deputy CM hails from the Tumakuru district. CLP leader Siddaramaiah is already holding talks with Congress rebels who are being wooed by BJP. Kumaraswamy joined the peace moves as a major grievance of Congress MLAs is the inaccessibility of the JD(S) leader. At the CLP meeting on Wednesday, Congress leaders do not rule out the possibility of some MLAs demanding an end to the coalition with JD(S), which they feel did more harm than good to the party.
Kumaraswamy is all set to fill the three vacancies in his cabinet to accommodate disgruntled MLAs, especially Ramesh. The expansion could take place this week if all goes well in the coalition.