CLP meeting on May 29 to take stock of political developments
Bengaluru, May 26: Amid coalition worries, the Congress, a partner in the ruling alliance in Karnataka, has convened a meeting of its legislature party on Wednesday to discuss the current political developments in the state.
The meeting comes in the backdrop of the rout of the Congress-JD(S) alliance in the Lok Sabha polls and simmering discontent within the party.
CLP leader Siddaramaiah,in a letter to party legislators, including members of the legislative council, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, said the meeting would be held at a hotel here on May 29 at 6 PM to discuss the current political developments.
"All MLAs should be present at the meeting without fail and give valuable suggestions," it said, adding that Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, Pradesh Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao, among others, would be present.
In its worst ever electoral performance in Karnataka, Congress won just one out of 21 seats it contested in the Lok Sabha polls, while JD(S) too won just one out of the seven seats it had fought.
Reflecting the coalition's sorry state, several stalwarts including former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, veteran Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Veerappa Moily, K H Muniyappa among others were defeated.
The alliance's humiliating defeat in the LS polls, which saw BJP winning 25 of the 28 seats, is widely expected to have a bearing on the stability of the Kumaraswamy government.
As voices emerged in the Congress to end the alliance, blaming the JDS partnership for their disastrous performance, Kumaraswamy had offered to resign, following which the cabinet met on Friday and reposed its "faith and confidence" in his leadership, asserting that the coalition would continue.
The CLP meeting also comes in the wake of simmering discontent within the party, with party MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has been hobnobbing with the BJP for some time, even threatening to resign along with a few MLAs after the LS polls polls.
Adding to this was senior party legislator Roshan Baig's outburst against the leadership, holding them responsible for the poor show by the party.
The BJP, on its part, has predicted the collapse of he coalition and an increase in its tally in the assembly after the LS poll results, claiming that 20 odd Congress MLAs are unhappy with the government and may take any decision.
During the CLP, legislators are expected to put forth their opinion on the coalition and the way forward, as the party has decided to go ahead with the alliance, despite rout in the Lok Sabha polls and may even seek changes or reshuffle in the ministry, sources said.
A couple of weeks ago there was a growing clamor in the Congress for Siddaramaiah to become Chief Minister once again, resulting in a public spat between leaders of alliance partners.
The Legislators may also seek proper coordination with the government, and the Chief Minister's intervention to resolve some of their constituency and governance related issue on priority, the sources said, adding that they may also ask for a joint legislature meeting of both parties.
The leadership is also expected to explain to MLAs about the need to continue with the coalition and ask them not to make any public statements against the alliance.
There is also the possibility of discussions on some Ministers quitting from their posts to make way for others to quell the growing discontent, the sources added.
It also remains to be seen whether the disgruntled MLAs would attend the CLP meeting. If not, it will once again trigger speculation about the numbers game.
The Congress had petitioned the Speaker, seeking action against four rebel MLAs, including Jarkiholi, for not attending the CLP meeting early this year when the state was going though political turmoil amid alleged poaching attempts by the BJP.
One of them, Umesh Jadhav, subsequently quit the Congress and joined BJP and went on to become an MP from Gulbarga, defeating veteran party leader Mallikarjun Kharge.
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Bogota (Colombia) (PTI): An explosive device killed 13 people travelling on a bus in southwestern Colombia on Saturday, an attack the country's army chief described as a “terrorist act" that also left at least 38 injured as violence linked to drug trafficking in the region escalates.
Octavio Guzman, the governor of the region of Cauca, said on X that the device was set off while the bus was travelling along the Panamerican Highway in the municipality of Cajibio. Five children were among the injured, Cauca Health Secretary Carolina Camargo told Noticias Caracol, a TV news program.
Gen. Hugo Lopez, commander of Colombia's Armed Forces, told a news conference that it was a “terrorist act" and blamed the network of a man known as “Ivan Mordisco” — one of Colombia's most wanted figures — and the Jaime Martínez faction. Both are dissidents of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that operate in the region.
Neither Ivan Mordisco nor the Jaime Martínez faction abide by the peace agreement signed with the state in 2016.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the attack on X.
“Those who carried out the attack and killed seven civilians — and wounded 17 others — in Cajibío — many of them Indigenous people — are terrorists, fascists, and drug traffickers,” he wrote.
The attack is the latest in a spate of explosions that have attempted to target public infrastructure. At least 26 incidents have taken place in the past two days in southwestern Colombia, which Lopez said have only affected civilians.
They included a shooting at a police station in the rural area of Jamundi, and an attack on a Civil Aviation radar facility in El Tambo, where authorities took down three explosives-laden drones earlier on Saturday. No one was hurt.
On Friday, two vehicles rigged with explosives were detonated near military units in Cali and Palmira, causing material damage.
The escalation of violence in that region — a territory contested by illegal armed groups linked to drug trafficking — prompted the mobilisation of high-ranking officials on Saturday. Led by Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez, the delegation that includes regional governors and local authorities, was meeting in Palmira when the deadly explosion occurred.
“These criminals seek to instil fear, but we will respond with firmness,” Sanchez said on X.
Meanwhile, Francisca Toro, governor of Valle del Cauca, has called upon the national government to provide “immediate support.” In a message on X, Toro called for a reinforcement of public security forces, enhanced intelligence operations and “decisive actions” against crime in the face of a “terrorist-level escalation.”
According to authorities, Cauca and Valle del Cauca serve as a critical hub for illicit activities of illegal armed groups vying for control over sea and river access routes leading to the port of Buenaventura — a key transit point used to traffic drugs to Central America and Europe.
The government has also offered a reward of more than 1 million dollars for information leading to the capture of “Marlon,” who is identified as the leader of the region's dissident group. On Friday, local authorities offered more than USD 14,000 for information leading to the identification and location of those behind the attacks in Cali and Palmira.
