Cong-JDS coordination committee to meet tomorrow to discuss turmoil, seat sharing for LS polls
Bengaluru, Jan 23: Karnataka's ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition coordination committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday, amid chinks in the alliance and an alleged bid by the BJP to dislodge the H D Kumaraswamy government.
The meeting gains significance as it comes days after political turmoil that also saw Congress, the senior partner, herd its MLAs to a resort to shield them from BJP's alleged poaching bid, where two lawmakers entered into a brawl, causing embarrassment to the government.
The coalition government's coordination committee meeting,chaired by Siddaramaiah (committee Chairman), is scheduled to take place tomorrow (Thursday) at 5 PM, Siddaramaiah's office said in a statement.
Sources said that the meeting is expected to discuss the upcoming state budget, preparations for the Lok Sabha polls and recent political developments that include the alleged bid by the BJP to topple the government and disgruntlement within the Congress.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy,who also holds the Finance portfolio, is scheduled to present the coalition government's second budget on February 8 and the coordination committee is expected to primarily discuss it.
Recently in an interview to PTI, Kumaraswamy had said that he would fulfil his Rs 46,000-crore loan waiver commitment made to farmers "completely" in the budget.
The coordination committee is likely to start preliminary discussions on seat sharing for the Lok Sabha polls and preparations, the sources said.
As the negotiations on seat sharing have already been delayed, the two parties are likely to discuss the procedures to be adapted and fix the timeline to arrive at a decision.
Four dissidents Friday skipped the Congress Legislature Party meeting that was meant to be a show of strength against BJP's alleged toppling bid.
The absentee MLAs have been served show cause notices, asking why action should not be taken against them under the Anti-Defection Law.
Congress in Karnataka Monday suspended its MLA J N Ganesh, who was also slapped with a case of attempt to murder by police based on the complaint by Anand Singh.
Meanwhile, there is also growing demand to expand the coordination committee by inducting state presidents on both Congress and JD(S) into it.
JD(S) state president Vishwanath Wednesday said the coordination committee was incomplete without state presidents of alliance partners in it.
However, Pradesh Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao has said that the party has to decide on his inclusion into the committee.
According to reports, Siddaramaiah is not in favour of Vishwanath coming on board as both don't enjoy a cordial relationship anymore,as the former Chief Minister suspects the JD(S) chief of having worked for his defeat in Chamundeshwari in Mysuru during the assembly polls.
The coordination committee comprises Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC chief G Parameshwara, Siddaramaiah, Congress General Secretary Venugopal and JD(S) Secretary General Danish Ali.
While Siddaramaiah is the chairman,Ali is the convener of the coalition coordination and monitoring committee.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
