Karnataka Assembly’s monsoon session set to begin on July 12

The Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government announced on Friday that the monsoon session of the Assembly would be held between July 12 and 26, rural development minister Krishna Byregowda announced.

The coalition is bracing itself for the session with renewed confidence that with the induction of the two Independent MLAs – H Nagesh and R Shankar – into the state Cabinet it had stymied any possible attempt by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party to topple the alliance.

A senior Congress minister said the coalition was well aware of the likely dissidence that might crop up during the session. “Dissidents had created trouble before the Budget session as well. So, we are certain that the BJP will try to utilise this, but they will find it difficult this time around,” the minister said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The previous instance the minister referred to was the dissidence expressed by four MLAs of the Congress, who went “missing” and skipped Legislature Party meetings, inviting censure from party leaders. Of the four MLAs, Ramesh Jarkiholi is still refusing to bow to the party’s diktat, the minister said.

Added to this is the opposition of MLA R Roshan Baig, who had publicly criticised the state leadership of the Congress. In the days after the BJP swept the Lok Sabha elections in the state, winning 25 of the 28 seats, the coalition had feared that it might have to gear up for more trouble.

A senior BJP leader said that his party would ensure that the coalition is kept on tenterhooks. “We are considering moving a no-confidence motion against the government to let them know that they will not be afforded a comfortable time in power,” the BJP leader said, adding that the party was open to welcoming defectors from the two parties. “We will definitely not say no to them,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha results continued to perplex the coalition’s leaders with deputy chief minister G Parameshwara being the latest to express dissatisfaction over the results. At a public meeting, he said: “I don’t know who you voted for, let it be I won’t question you on that. Ok, you have voted majorly for the Congress but some have voted for the BJP. That’s not a problem.”

On Wednesday, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy had shouted at protesters saying they voted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but expected him to solve their problems, and this was followed by former chief minister and CLP chief Siddaramaiah saying he could not understand why people voted for BJP in his assembly constituency when it was the Congress that had worked for them.

On the day, food and civil supplies minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan was served a notice by the Enforcement Directorate to give an explanation about him selling land to Mohammed Mansoor Khan, the fugitive founder of the I Monetary Advisory firm. Mansoor Khan is accused of cheating over 42,000 investors in his company and a blue corner notice has been issued against him by Interpol.

Reacting to the notice, Khan said: “I have been asked to respond to the notice by July 5 and I will do so... What is wrong in giving a notice? I will give my clarification. Let the truth come out,” he said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also has attached assets worth ₹209 crore kept in more than 50 bank accounts in an alleged money laundering case related to a ponzi scheme involving Karnataka’s IMA group, an official statement said.