Three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs, S.T. Somashekhar, Shivaram Hebbar, and Legislative Council member H. Vishwanath, made headlines as they participated in a Congress Legislative Party meeting dinner held late last night in Belgaum. The move has raised eyebrows and fueled speculation about potential political shifts ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Source: The South First
After the extensive preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, the spotlight shifted to Belgaum where three BJP MLAs attended a dinner organized for Congress MLAs at a private resort on the outskirts of the city. While the BJP downplayed the significance, stating that it was merely a friendly gathering and not a breach of discipline, the unexpected participation of Somashekhar, Hebbar, and Vishwanath has left political observers intrigued.
This isn’t the first time S.T. Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar have been at the center of political attention. During the coalition government with the Congress, both leaders, along with Vishwanath of JD(S), switched allegiance to BJP as part of Operation Kamala, resulting in the formation of a coalition government. Subsequently, when the BJP lost the last assembly elections, Somashekhar and Hebbar returned to the Congress, expressing dissatisfaction with their treatment in the BJP.
Source: News18
The participation of Somashekhar and Hebbar in the Congress Legislative Party meeting dinner further solidifies speculations about their imminent shift to the Congress. It is rumored that both leaders are gearing up to contest as Congress candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Their absence from the recent BJP party meeting, coupled with their presence at the Congress event, adds weight to these speculations.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar clarified that the two BJP MLAs did not attend the Congress party meeting but were present at the dinner on invitation. He emphasized that their participation in the banquet should not be misconstrued as a violation of party discipline, as they were not legislators of the Congress party.
Congress, on the other hand, downplayed any suggestion of a breach of discipline, asserting that the presence of Somashekhar and Hebbar at the dinner was not against party norms. Congress leader ST. Ashok mentioned that discussions with Somashekhar had taken place, and similar talks would be held with Hebbar and Vishwanath. He highlighted that such incidents had been occurring over the past three months and urged for a constructive dialogue to address any concerns.
