New Delhi: Amid frenzied speculations around some BJP MLAs willing to return to their parent party, the ruling Congress, under ‘Operation Hasta’, former minister and a sitting saffron party legislator, ST Somashekar, called on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday, news agency PTI reported.
Asked to state the purpose of his visit, the former minister, however, said he called on the chief minister to discuss the “development of his constituency”.
The BJP MLA from Yashwanthpur constituency called on the CM at the latter’s residence on Sunday.
Lending further grist to rumour mills, Ayanur Manjunath of the Janata Dal (Secular), who has been known to change his political stripes, also met Congress state chief and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, PTI reported.
Speaking to reporters, Somashekar said he met the chief minister to convey the need for a maternity hospital at Sir M Visvesvaraya Layout on a civic amenity plot and a flyover for Kengeri Satellite Town, the news agency reported.
Speaking to media persons on his meeting with Manjunath, the Congress state chief said many people come to meet him.
Significantly, Somashekar has not only been in touch with Congress leaders but had recently called Shivakumar his “political guru”, according to PTI.
‘Operation Hasta’, or ‘Operation Palm’ is believed to be a drive to woo the Congress dissidents, who switched over to the BJP or JD(S), back to the ruling party. ‘Hasta’ or palm signifies the Congress’s symbol.
The operation, according to PTI, is said to be the Congress’s answer to the BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ in 2019 as part of which 17 legislators from the Congress and the JD(S) had embraced saffron.
As was widely reported, ‘Operation Lotus’ led to the fall of the coalition government between the Congress and the JD(S).
Further, according to PTI, with rumours rife that many BJP MLAs and leaders were keeping a line of communication with the Congress open and are even willing to return to their parent party, the BJP was taking requite measures to keep its flock together.
According to the report, the BJP is reaching out to the disgruntled leaders and is trying to persuade them to stay.
Speaking to PTI two days ago, former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said he had spoken to dissident BJP MLAs and former ministers Shivaram Hebbar and Munirathna.
"I spoke to them and they clearly said they are not going to quit the party. We have brought the local problems to the notice of our party president. That will be solved. We will remain united," Bommai told reporters, according to PTI.
Meanwhile, amid rumours around ‘Operation Hasta’, BJP national general secretary and former minister, CT Ravi, said he knew how to "operate the palm", PTI reported.
However, to Ravi’s remark, Shivakumar retorted on Sunday, “CT Ravi is giving us a threat that he will chop off the palm. What happened when you (BJP) took away Congress and JD(S) MLAs? When you can threaten others, others also know how to threaten you. You brought down the coalition government to form yours."