BJP MLA Jarkiholi rubbishes Cong claim about 'Operation Lotus' trying to bring down K'taka govt
Belagavi (PTI): BJP MLA and former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi rubbished the Congress's allegation that those who toppled the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in 2019 are active once again, offering bribes to the ruling party's MLAs to jump ship.
Jarkiholi, who was previously with the Congress and was seen as instrumental in the fall of the coalition government four years ago, said the BJP never talks about Operation Lotus'. Instead, it is the "drama company" of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar that is talking about it.
"It is the drama company of D K Shivakumar which is talking about Operation Lotus and Rs 50 crore bribe. We BJP people never talk of Operation Lotus' and will not do it," he said
'Operation Lotus', a term coined by the Congress, refers to an alleged BJP conspiracy to topple an elected government.
Admitting that there was a need to dethrone the H D Kumaraswamy-led JD(S) and Congress government earlier, Jarkiholi said, "There was a need in 2019, so we did it. That too was not done by the BJP but by Jarkiholi and company. Neither the BJP gave us money nor did it lure us."
"We rebelled because of D K Shivakumar's dictatorial tendencies and so we brought down the government. We were never against Siddaramaiah or Mallikarjun Kharge. We opposed D K Shivakumar. Today D K Shivakumar's supporters say something but they have no basis in their claims," he added.
The BJP leader said the Congress has failed on all fronts through their falsehood and false guarantee schemes. Only to divert public attention, the Congress is spreading lies, he claimed.
Regarding his recent meeting with former chief minister and JD(S) second-in-command Kumaraswamy, he said he met him only after the BJP formed an alliance with the JD(S) last month and not before that.
"We sat together to decide seat sharing," Jarkiholi clarified.
When he was told that the Congress leaders have said they would expose the BJP conspiracy to topple the government during the assembly session, he said he would welcome it.
"Let them take action against the guilty and we will also support it," Jarkiholi said.
Reacting to Jarkiholi's statement, Shivakumar said in Bengaluru: "People have already given their verdict. We have work to do; we are on it."
Mandya MLA and Shivakumar loyalist Ravi Gowda (Ganiga) claimed last week that those who tried to destabilise the government in the past are once again active in trying to bring down the present dispensation.
"Just as the coalition government was removed, a similar attempt is being made now. The team is searching for people and reaching home with allurements. We have information and videos. We have evidence to prove which MLA was contacted and how many crores of rupees was offered. We will make it public," he claimed.
"The team had even asked us to meet in Delhi. They are even ready to arrange special flights for it and make them meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah. They have even said that they have these many MLAs with them. They will call the MLA and put them on the speaker. They have already met four of our MLAs and discussed with them," Gowda claimed.
According to the Congress MLA, a former chief minister's personal assistant is also involved in the conspiracy and is actively taking part in the horse trading.
Claiming that he has the videos of the noble men' involved in horse trading, Gowda said he has brought this development to the notice of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
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Bengal polls: Mamata Banerjee backs Jyotipriya Mallick as TMC's candidate from Habra
Habra (WB) (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday extended her full support to long-time political associate Jyotipriya Mallick, claiming he was targeted in a money laundering case due to a CPI(M) conspiracy.
Mallick, who held the Food and Supplies portfolio in the Mamata Banerjee government from 2011 to 2021, was arrested by the ED in October 2023 in a money laundering case linked to an alleged multi-crore ration distribution scam.
He was granted bail in January 2025. At the time of his arrest, he was the state’s forest minister.
Extending her full support to Mallick, who is contesting from Habra constituency for a fourth consecutive term, Banerjee claimed that the CPI(M) and the BJP were spreading canards against him.
"Nobody has worked as well as Balu (Mallick) did in my government," Banerjee said, adding that he was arrested out of "jealousy".
The chief minister alleged that CPI(M) entered 1.5 crore false names in the PDS ration list, which Mallick detected and removed.
She also claimed the Left party persuaded the BJP to register the case against him.
"Balu was instrumental in providing digital ration cards to beneficiaries and introduced a system to track vehicles transporting PDS goods," Banerjee said.
She also defended her nephew and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, questioning why honest business earnings were being scrutinised.
Addressing voters ahead of the two-phase Assembly polls, she said, "I am the candidate everywhere. One vote for Trinamool means voting for me. If you want development work to continue under my leadership, exercise your franchise with my face in mind."
Training her guns on the CPI(M), Banerjee asserted that the Left party drew a blank in the elections because of her.
The CPI(M)-led Left Front could not win a single seat in the 2021 Assembly elections, and also in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Bengal.
"ED or CBI cases are not registered against CPI(M), because they play got-up games with the BJP," the TMC chief said.
Banerjee claimed that the CPI(M) candidates, by dividing votes, will try to help the BJP win seats, asserting that anti-BJP votes should go only to the TMC.
She said people were made to stand in long queues for SIR and asked voters, "Will you avenge this or not?"
She claimed that former CPI(M) workers and supporters have now shifted allegiance to the BJP, while accusing the saffron party, Left and Congress of being "in cahoots with each other."
"Where were they when SIR was being done?" she asked, asserting that only TMC workers stood by the people during that period.
