'Reverse Operation Lotus' In Karnataka: Two BJP MLAs Skip Key Meeting With Yediyurappa

After three months of Congress's victory in Karnataka, former Minister and Yeshwanthpur MLA S.T. Somashekar's remarks on how Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was his 'political guru', has sparked rumours of "Operation Hasta" or "Reverse Operation Lotus". In 2019, the BJP brought down the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government on the back of ‘Operation Lotus’, which saw 17 of the coalition’s MLAs jumping ship to the party.

Calling DK Shivakumar his political 'guru', BJP MLA ST Somashekar Gowda said his growth in the cooperative sector is because of the Congress leader.

"If I've grown in the cooperative sector, it's because of my 'guru' DK Shivakumar who helped me.

BJP MLAs skip meet

According to reports, two prominent BJP MLAs -- ST Somashekar and Bhyrati Basavaraj -- skipped a crucial meeting called by former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa in Bengaluru. The meeting was organised to clear the air about rumours of BJP leaders joining Congress ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

However, after a two-hour long meeting, Yediyurappa told reporters, "Nobody is leaving the party.. There are a couple of them who are thinking about leaving for various reasons. We are talking to them. I am confident no one will leave."

Asked about party MLA from Yeshwanthpur, S T Somashekar, who is said to be one among those planning to switch sides to Congress, not attending today's meeting, he said, "whoever were in the city and were available have come, it was all of a sudden intimated yesterday. We will meet again."

Amid speculation that he would return to the Congress, Somashekar on Thursday had said that he is not joining the party, but expressed unhappiness about the saffron party's inaction against opponents within, working against him in his constituency.

Meanwhile, the BJP state unit is yet to appoint its Leader of the Opposition in the legislative assembly and council even three months after the poll results were declared on May 10.