BJP lures Ramesh with ticket to contest LS polls?

Bengaluru: Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has been sulking since being dropped from the Cabinet, is holding talks with BJP leaders on quitting the Congress and joining that party.

As per the sources, the BJP has assured Ramesh party ticket to contest in the Lok Sabha elections from Chikkodi constituency. If everything goes as per the plan Ramesh will be pitted against the Congres’s Prakash Hukkeri, the incumbent MP.

Ramesh who has allegedly taken a leading role in trying to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in the State, has been at loggerheads with Congress leaders, particularly Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar. 

Following a petition filed by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah speaker Ramesh Kumar recently issued a notice to Ramesh and his loyalist MLAs, Mahesh Kumathalli and B. Nagendra, asking them to appear before him on March 12.

It may be recalled that Congress leaders has sought disqualification of the four rebel MLAs, including Dr. Jadhav, under the anti-defection law after they repeatedly remained defiant and skipped both the Assembly session and CLP meetings.