MP political crisis: 19 rebel Congress MLAs in Bengaluru resort

Bengaluru: While 19 Congress MLAs from Madhya Pradesh have taken shelter in Bengaluru city, the party high command is hardly getting any support from its Karnataka unit find their whereabouts.

While 17 MLAs, including six ministers landed on Monday evening, two of the four MLAs, who had come down last week have stayed back in the city.

However, BJP leaders who are in-charge of safeguarding these MLAs are tight lipped over the location of their hiding. They are creating a confusion by throwing names of several resorts like Golden Palm Resorts on Tumakuru road, Ramda and Hamsana on Doddaballapur road etc.

The MLAs were finally tracked down to Prestige Golf Links near Nandi Hills. They are expected to return to Bhopal by the evening flight.

Of the four MLAs who came to Bengaluru last week, H S Dang and Raghuraj Kansana have stayed back. The new set of MLAs include Pradumn Singh Tomar, Imarti Devi, Prabhuram Chowdhari, Govind Singh Rajput, Tulsi Silawat, Mahendra Singh Sisodiya, Roxha Sironi, Rajvardhan Singh Datigaon, OPS Badoria, Giriraj Dandotiya, Brijendra Yadav, Jaspal Jetty, Ranveer Jatav, Kamalesh Jatav, Jaswant Jatav, Munnalal Goyal and Suresh Rathkheda.

Meanwhile, the Congress high command made a desperate attempt to activate its state unit to negotiate with the rebel MLAs in Bengaluru. AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal spoke to CLP leader Siddaramaiah, KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao and also former deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwar, who expressed their helplessness over the issue.

In a last ditch effort, he also contacted Congress party’s trouble shooter DK Shivakumar, with whom he shares a strained relationship. However, miffed by denial of any party position, Mr Shivakumar shirked off the responsibility saying he was just an ordinary party worker and hardly knew the senior leaders of Madhya Pradesh. The only solace was KPCC working president Mr Eshwar Khandre, who issued some media statements.