Governor decision on request to prosecute Karnataka CM likely today

Bengaluru: Karnataka governor Thawarchand Gehlot is expected to respond on Monday to the council of ministers’ resolution urging him to reject activist TJ Abraham’s request for prosecution of chief minister Siddaramaiah, even as BJPJDS is pressing for the prosecution, said people familiar with the matter.

The NDA partners have accused the CM of unlawfully gaining 14 plots in an upscale Mysuru residential area, and have started a weeklong protest march to Mysuru from Bengaluru on Saturday. Congress began a sixday counter rally a day earlier, as part of a strategy to deflect the attention from the BJP protest.

Abraham also urged the governor to withdraw the showcause notice issued to Siddaramaiah asking to explain his actions. Siddaramaiah has said that the AICC leadership has thrown its weight behind him while attacking the governor as being a puppet in the hands of BJP, accusing him of trying to destabilize an elected government.

The chief minister and his party are preparing to pursue an aggressive legal battle in the event the governor concedes the activist’s request, said people familiar with the matter.

Congress has, however, not publicly spoken about its strategy in the event the Raj Bhavan grants permission for the CM’s prosecution. On Sunday, the second day of BJPJDS yatra, the opposition leaders continued to attack Siddaramaiah, while Congress rally remained mostly directed at JDS state president and Union minister HD Kumaraswamy. Congress leaders are attacking the JDS leader repeatedly as the regional party has a dominant presence in Ramanagar district, and Kumaraswamy represented Channapatna in the assembly before his election to the Lok Sabha. Kumaraswamy addressed BJP and JD (S) workers on Sunday and pledged that he would work together with BJP to dislodge the Congress regime and bring the NDA to power.