Post counselling session, Cong MLAs likely to leave resort today

Bengaluru:  Congress legislators who are currently staying at Bidadi resort are more likely to leave the resort on Sunday evening.

It is gathered that the Congress bigwigs have asked their legislators to leave the resort only after meeting AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka KC Venugopal individually, most probably for a counselling session.

They have also been asked to return to their constituencies to address drought-related issues as a counter to a similar diktat the BJP has issued to its legislators. This was the outcome of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting its leader Siddaramaiah chaired at the Bidadi resort on Saturday, January 19 evening. The CLP meet also discussed the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Reportedly Siddarammaiah has advised the MLAs to be alert and inform the party about any attempt by the BJP to poach them. However, according to party sources, the Congress is still unsure on how the situation will play out going forward, given that at least eight MLAs have committed to side with the BJP.

Venugopal will be interacting with MLAs individually and a decision on their future course of action will be taken, informed KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao said.

He further added that the four MLAs who had skipped Friday’s CLP meet – Ramesh Jarkiholi, Umesh Jadhav, Mahesh Kumatahalli and B Nagendra – will be issued notices and the Congress leaders are expecting a satisfactory response from them. He also said that he was hopeful that Ramesh would return to the party fold.