A quick return journey for Karnataka MLAs

​Hyderabad: After several twists and turns, the political haze appears to be getting cleared as Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa made it clear that he would prove his majority with the help of Congress and JD(s) legislators. 

He also gave a call to the BJP cadre to be ready for celebrations after 5 pm on Saturday. In a swift move after the Supreme Court decision directing him to prove his majority on Saturday, the Governor even appointed K G Boppaiah as Pro-Tem Speaker setting aside the practice of calling the senior-most MLA to be the Pro-Tem Speaker.

This has virtually pulled down the curtain on the theatre for the high voltage political drama that was unfolding in Karnataka and later shifted to Hyderabad on Friday with the Congress and Janata Dal (S) moving their legislators here for their safe-keeping. 

As many as 106 legislators of both the parties reached Hyderabad in the morning at about 9.30 am unannounced after deciding that Hyderabad was a better bet for them as JD (s) has a friend in Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao who reportedly promised them all the logistic help that they might need. 

Former Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah arrived in Hyderabad at about 4.30 pm and reached Taj Krishna Hotel at about 5 pm. JD (S) leader Kumara Swamy arrived at about 5 pm and he too reached Taj Krishna at about 5.30 pm. 

Siddaramaiah and Kumara Swamy held a meeting with Congress legislators at Taj Krishna from 6 pm and discussed the strategy to be followed in the Karnataka Assembly on Saturday for the floor test of the BJP government.

The Congress and JD (S) MLAs were accommodated in Taj Krishna and Novatel hotels, respectively. The Telangana Congress leaders, after receipt of a message that their Karnataka colleagues were heading for Hyderabad reached Taj Krishna Hotel and spent time with them discussing the “injustice” that had been meted out to the Congress-HD (S) combine.

Meanwhile, JD(S) MLAs arrived at Novatel and though both were comrades in arms while staking claim for power in Karnataka, they stayed separately in two different hotels to prevent any possible embarrassment to KCR who has welcomed the JD(S) MLAs to Hyderabad and had nothing to do with the Congress MLAs as the party is in Opposition in Telangana. Congress Telangana in-charge RC Khuntia, Karnataka Congress incharge Madhu Yashki, TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Mohammad Ali Shabbir, MLAs SA Sampath Kumar, Vamsi Chander Reddy, T Rammohan Reddy, MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, TPCC treasurer G Narayana Reddy and former MLA Maheswar Reddy took the responsibility of ensuring Karnataka legislators would have a happy time at the hotel.

“They are our brethren. It is our responsibility to be of help to them when they are in Hyderabad. We discussed Karnataka situation with them and assured our help,” Congress leader V Hanumnatha  Rao. Asked what kind of help they were extending to their guests, Rao shot back: What do you expect? We had tea and biscuits together. We have extended moral support to them,” he said.

The party sources said that the TPCC was informed about the shifting of the MLAs of the Congress and JD(S) to Hyderabad late in the night on Thursday and directed it to make arrangements. Uttam Kumar Reddy who was participating in the Praja Chaitanya Bus Yatra reached Hyderabad late in the night and made arrangements for the Karnataka legislators. As many as 120 rooms have been booked at Taj Krishna for the Congress legislators. 

The Congress MLAs, about 71, arrived in three buses and JD(S) MLAs about 35, arrived in another bus from Bengaluru. The MLAs were not allowed to leave their respective hotels. Sources said that even they were not allowed to watch TV in their rooms or go out to their bus to fetch clothes they had forgotten. 

RC Khuntia, Uttam Kumar, Sudhakar Reddy, Maheswar Reddy, Sampath Kumar, Shabber Ali stayed at Taj Krishna throughout the day and looked after their guests. Congress senior leader S Jaipal Reddy, Opposition leader in the Assembly K Jana Reddy, and MLA J Geetha Reddy arrived in the afternoon and joined the Karnataka legislators. 

The news of the Supreme Court directive to hold the floor test on Saturday has reached the Congress leaders at about 1 pm and they were rejoiced over it. The Congress claimed that justice was done to the Congress. 

On Thursday evening, the Congress high command has decided to shift its and JD(S) MLAs to Hyderabad after they failed to move them to Kerala or to Puducherry. They took the decision as the Governor of Karnataka has given 15 days for Yeddyurappa to prove majority in the Assembly. 

Fearing poaching, the Congress and JD(S) decided to shift the MLAs to some other place of the country. The Congress leaders booked two flights for shifting them in the evening. However, the flights were allegedly not allowed to take off by the Civil Aviation authorities from Bengaluru on Thursday evening. 

With this, the Congress changed its strategy and shifted the MLAs in buses to Hyderabad. The MLAs started their journey around 9 pm from Bengaluru and reached Hyderabad at 9.30 am on Friday.