Karnataka MLAs, MLCs outpour grievances in CLP meeting

The Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting convened here to draw strategies for the coming elections to the Lok Sabha and legislative council in Karnataka witnessed party MLAs and MLCs venting their grievances against the state government.

Most of the MLAs complained that development works in their constituencies had come to a halt as no projects were getting approved, party insiders had told PTI Tuesday.

Yashwantpur MLA S T Somashekhar was peeved that some of the mining projects were rejected on technical grounds, whereas some Janata Dal(Secular) (JD-S) leaders got the same contract without any hassle, they said.

His statement was seconded by almost all the MLAs.

"An MLA said he did not get permission by the local police station to install Ganesha statue at public places during the Ganesha festival," the sources said.

The MLA said it was becoming difficult for him to continue as a member of the House and he would prefer resigning from the Assembly.

There were also heated exchange of words between Congress MLAs Bhima Naik and Anand Singh from Ballari over their dominance in the district and interference by each other in their respective Assembly constituencies.

Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister G Parameshwara assured the MLAs that they would coordinate with the government in a better way to iron out the differences.

Siddaramaiah also cautioned the MLAs against "Operation Kamal" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to poach on the Congress MLAs. He even took to task some MLAs for leaking information to media.

Later talking to PTI, Parameshwara said the meeting was convened to discuss the legislative council election.

"The MLAs have the grouse that whatever promises they had made to their electorate before elections were not being fulfilled. Their grouse is valid. We will look into it," he said.