Karnataka’s BJP MLA meets Siddaramaiah amid ‘Operation Hasta’ speculation. Congress counters alleged defections, recalling BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’.
Amid speculation about ‘Operation Hasta,’ suggesting certain Karnataka BJP legislators are considering returning to the Congress, BJP MLA S T Somashekar met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Their meeting reportedly centered around discussing the development of Somashekar’s constituency.
Ayanur Manjunath, presently with JD(S), met Deputy Chief Minister and Congress state chief D K Shivakumar earlier in the day. Somashekar’s interaction with Siddaramaiah comes as he has been engaging with Congress leaders and recently praised Shivakumar as his “political guru.”
‘Operation Hasta,’ symbolizing ‘Operation Palm,’ signifies the alleged effort to attract BJP leaders to the Congress. It appears as a counter to the BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ in 2019, which led to defections from Congress and JD(S) to the BJP, causing the fall of the coalition government.
To counter potential defections, the BJP is working to maintain its party unity. Amid reports of BJP legislators connecting with Congress, former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai stated that he had spoken to party MLAs Hebbar and Munirathna, assuring party cohesion.
Former minister and BJP national general secretary C T Ravi issued a strong response, implying he knows how to counter ‘Operation Hasta.’ In return, Congress leader Shivakumar suggested that just as the BJP had induced defections, others also have tactics at their disposal, referencing the fall of the coalition government.
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