BJP, Congress may take fight to assembly

BENGALURU: The week-long legislature session, which is scheduled to begin from September 21, is likely to turn the ruling BJP’s plans to complete some of the crucial law-making tasks upside down with the police investigations into the operations of an alleged drug mafia intensifying political mudslinging.
The police have already arrested two film actors, besides others, and are likely to take some more people into custody as the investigations progress, based on the new revelations and evidence. The operation of drug cartels has been the main subject of discussion in the state for more than a week now.

The issue of the drug racket operating in the state and its links to film personalities and politicians are expected to dominate the legislature session, probably consuming more time than the ruling BJP may wish to allocate. A number of Bills have piled up before the government and chief minister BS Yediyurappa is determined to get the Ordinances ratified by the legislature as they were issued after the Covid-19 outbreak to mitigate the sufferings of farmers and accelerate industrial investments. Some of these amendments were suggested by the BJP top brass as part of its ease-of-doing-business (EoDB) agenda. Home minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said the coming week was crucial from the point of view of police investigations into the drugs case, setting off speculations of some political connections coming to light.

Already, Congress MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan has been on the offensive, slamming attempts to malign him in connection with a Sri Lanka trip last year. The signs of more political mudslinging in the coming days are already visible with the Congress, BJP and JD(S) leaders throwing barbs at each other. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah (Congress) tweeted two days ago that the BJP is “trying to protect their own leaders in the drug case and defaming opposition party leaders.”

The former chief minister has also taken exception to the BJP ministers making what he called ‘false’ accusations against his party leaders, linking them to the drugs case. Meanwhile, the talk that Khan might make some revelations on Monday has set off the cat among the pigeons. These and much more related to the subject of a drug mafia are expected to consume most of the legislature’s time. Siddaramaiah on Sunday put out a tweet expressing doubts about getting enough time in the Assembly to discuss a host of recent amendments to the law, and place their pros and cons before the people.

While Siddaramaiah too has favoured an impartial probe into the scourge of drug consumption, he has warned the BJP against maligning the reputation of his party leaders. The ruling BJP, and Opposition Congress and JD(S) are likely to make use of the legislature session to intensify their political fight and to lob charges at each other.