Somashekhar, who attended the dinner, alleged that a section of BJP leaders was conspiring to send him away from the saffron party.
The event hosted by Congress. (X)
A recent dinner hosted by the Congress after its Legislature Party meeting in Belagavi in Karnataka has revealed simmering infighting in the BJP because three lawmakers from the saffron party attended it.
The three BJP members are MLAs ST Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar and MLC H Vishwanath. Somashekar later alleged that some of his party members were conspiring to accuse him of looking to return to the Congress.
Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra on Thursday, 14 December, termed his party legislators attending the dinner a “serious matter” and said he would seek an explanation from them.
However, Karnataka Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the legislators did not participate in any meeting, but only attended the dinner on Wednesday night, on his invitation.
On three @BJP4Karnataka legislators attending the dinner hosted by @INCKarnataka in Belagavi, DyCM @DKShivakumar clarified that it was not party meeting and also invited ten other legislators from other parties as well.
“BJP MLAs @STSomashekar, @ShivaramHebbar & MLC AH… pic.twitter.com/SiOJEoNK7X
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) December 14, 2023
The three legislators, who are former ministers, raised eyebrows by attending the dinner and added to speculations that they might be contemplating joining the ruling Congress ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
They had made no secret of their disenchantment with the BJP and its internal affairs ever since the party lost the May Assembly polls.
The three were among the 17 Congress-JD(S) legislators who defected to the BJP in 2019, which led to the collapse of the HD Kumaraswamy-led government and paved the way for the BJP to come to power.
Somashekar and Hebbar were ministers in the previous BJP government. Vishwanath, originally a Congress leader, was in the JD(S) as its state chief when he defected to BJP in 2019.
“I got information about it in the morning. I will talk to them today. I will discuss what their intention is….it is a serious matter, I will discuss [it] with them today itself,” Vijayendra told reporters in Belagavi on Thursday.
Shivakumar, meanwhile, said: “I had separately hosted a dinner, for which certain leaders from other parties were also invited, so they (Somashekar, Hebbar), also Vishwanath, and others, about 10 people had come.”
He told reporters: “Why will they come to the Congress Legislature Party meeting? They are not our party’s legislators. They did not come to the Legislature Party meeting. They had only come for dinner.”
Somashekhar, the MLA from Yeshvanthapura, clarified that he would remain with the saffron party but alleged that a section of the BJP leaders was conspiring against him to send him away from the party.
Clearing the air, Somashekhar told reporters in Belagavi: “I have not attended the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting. I had gone on the invitation of Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar.”
“Before leaving for the Congress’ dinner party, I was with BJP state president BY Vijayendra from 8 pm to 10 pm. He had hosted a dinner party for all the party legislators. I also took part and had dinner there as well,” the Yeshvanthapura MLA pointed out.
On asking whether he was planning to leave the party, Somashekhar said: “I will not do anything that brings embarrassment to the party. However, a section of leaders in the party are making an effort to send me away from the BJP.”
“A conspiracy against me is being hatched over the last two years. I had also attended the BJP legislature party meeting recently,” accused the BJP legislator.
He also said that there is pressure on him to contest Lok Sabha elections from Mysuru seat.
“I am not keen on contesting the Lok Sabha polls. I am aiming to become MLA for another term in 2028,” said Somashekhar clarifying that he will not be contesting in the upcoming general elections.
It may also be noted that the Yeshvathapura MLA has been alleging that conspiracy was being weaved against him to throw him out of the party since the culmination of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls.
He had also complained in this regard before the state party leadership.
BJP legislature party leader and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka said he will talk to Somashekar, as there have been certain developments in the last two to three months vis-a-vis the MLA.
“Somashekar told me that he was invited for dinner and had gone there, so I don’t think he has violated anything. I will talk to him. He had participated in protests organised by the party against the government yesterday. During the session, as there will be various such invites, he might have gone for dinner. But, I will call him and talk to him,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)
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