BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi counters Cong's claims, says 16 of its legislators are in touch with him
Bengaluru, Jan 25: With the Congress leadership in Karnataka claiming that some legislators and leaders from the ruling BJP are in touch with them, a saffron party MLA on Tuesday claimed that at least 16 legislators from the grand old party are in contact with him and may jump ship, ahead of assembly polls, if the high command approves.
The claims and counter claims between the ruling and the principal opposition party in the state has gained momentum, even as the assembly polls in the state are more than a year away.
As Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah today reiterated his claims that few BJP and JD(S) leaders are in touch with him and he would not reveal their names, BJP MLA and former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi hit back and claimed that at least 16 legislators from Congress are in contact with him.
"A total of 36 MLAs were in touch with me, from the coalition government days, out of that 17 of us came out (to join BJP), among the remaining 19, three are from JD(S), I'm not going to touch them because of my good bonding with H D Kumaraswamy (JDS leader)...rest of them, who could not come with us then due to technical reasons are still in touch with me," Jarkiholi said.
Speaking to reporters here, he questioned why Siddaramaiah, who had declared in the assembly that the Congress will not take back any of those who had quit the party then and called them betrayers, is now claiming that some of them are in contact with him.
"....I will not take the names of 16 people who are in touch with me, I will speak truth not for publicity, let's see if high command (BJP) agrees to induct them. I hope they will make good decisions. Congress is sinking across the country, in the days to come, they will not have people to seek tickets at some places...," he added.
Jarkiholi is credited for his key role in the collapse of the coalition government in 2019, as he is said to have led 17 Congress-JD(S) MLAs, who quit their parties and subsequently joined BJP.
However, countering his claims, Siddaramaiah said, Jarkiholi has been making such claims for many days now, and there was no need to give much importance to it. "According to me no one will go......BJP is now a sinking ship," he said.
Earlier today, Siddaramaiah had reiterated his claim that few BJP and JD(S) leaders are in touch with him and he would not reveal their names.
State Congress president D K Shivakumar too had made similar claims on Monday, as senior BJP legislator Basanagouda Patil Yatnal stated that some MLAs and Ministers, especially those who joined the saffron party from other parties, are in touch with the Congress leadership, and will jump ship, once the 2023 assembly poll schedule is announced.
However, reacting to these claims, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, there is no question of anyone leaving the BJP.
"It shows the amount of insecurity the Congress is facing, there is a fight between two leaders (Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah) there, there is a series coming out every month claiming who is with whom in their own party, as a result of it, they are making such claims," he said.
"There is no question of anyone going from the BJP, they (few leaders who are now Ministers in BJP govt) have come here stating that they don't want Congress, so there is no question of going there.....I don't want to comment on certain political developments that are taking place, but you will see things, wait for few days, you will see how BJP will get strengthened politically," he added.
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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.
