Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara & chief minister HD Kumaraswamy. (Photo courtesy: Mirror, MMCL, Bengaluru... Read More

BENGALURU: In a desperate bid to save his government from falling, Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy, ahead of the crucial Congress legislature party (CLP) meeting on May 29, on Monday met Mahesh Kumatalli, the confidante of dissident Congress leader Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is also an MLA of the party.

Kumaraswamy’s efforts to pacify the rebels came on a day when ex-Congress MLA K N Rajanna struck a discordant note saying that the coalition government will “collapse after June 10”. Rajanna also blamed the defeat of the CM’s father and JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda in Tumakuru on deputy CM and Congress leader G Parameshwara, who hails from the district.

CLP leader Siddaramaiah is already holding talks with Congress rebels who are being wooed by BJP. HDK joined the peace moves as one of the major grievance of Congress MLAs is his inaccessibility. At the CLP meeting on Wednesday, Congress leaders do not rule out the possibility of some MLAs demanding an end to the coalition with JD(S), which they feel did more harm than good to the party.

HDK is all set to fill vacancies in his cabinet to accommodate disgruntled MLAs, especially Ramesh. The expansion could take place this week if all goes well in the coalition.

Year on, CM may vacate 5-star hotel

HDK is said to be mulling quitting the Taj West End hotel from where he has been operating the past year. Though he normally stays at his home in JP Nagar, he has mostly operated from the 5-star since turning CM.

Sources said he was advised by CLP leader Siddaramaiah to give up the suites, but JD(S) sources claimed the CM was advised thus by his astrologer as part of remedies based on the CM’s horoscope.

