Reacting to speculations that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA ST Somashekar Gowda might jump ship to Congress, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday said that it is an internal matter of the party and they will sort it out.
The Union Minister's remarks came days after his party MLA ST Somashekar Gowda called Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar his political 'guru'.
“If I’ve grown in the cooperative sector, it’s because of my 'guru' DK Shivakumar who helped me. I wasn’t given a JP Nagar block, DK Shivakumar made me joint secretary of JP Nagar. From there he gave me his support. He also made me the candidate for the Uttarahalli Assembly constituency,” ST Somashekar Gowda said on Thursday.
READ | BJP's S T Somashekar meets CM Siddaramaiah amid buzz about 'Operation Hasta'
"He (ST Somashekar) has talked to me. I have also told him that it is an internal matter of the party. We will sort it out...I don't have much to say on this..." Joshi said while talking to the reporters.
Earlier on Friday, former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also reacted to Somashekar's remarks and said that he is in talks with the former and no one will leave the party.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier on Friday, former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also reacted to Somashekar's remarks and said that he is in talks with the former and no one will leave the party.
{{/usCountry}}"I have spoken to ST Somashekhar and Shivram Hebbar, none of the BJP MLAs will leave the party. There are some local issues, We have brought it to the attention of the state president," Bommai said, adding that they will sort everything out.
Asserting that everyone in BJP is united, the BJP leader said that the Congress is telling false stories of defection to hide the fact that their own MLAs had revolted.
Somashekar was among 14 Congress MLAs who threw their weight behind the BJP helping BS Yediyurappa to install the BJP government in the state in 2019.
Meanwhile, the state Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy, while speaking to reporters in Mysuru, claimed that around 10-15 BJP leaders are keen to join the Congress.