Congress, JD (S) cry foul over “poaching” of its MLAs by BJP

The opposition Congress and JD (S) in Karnataka are crying foul over the “poaching” of its MLAs by the ruling BJP to strengthen its numerical strength in the Assembly.

Alarmed by the sudden resignation of three Congress and three JD (S) MLAs from the Assembly to join the BJP, the leaders of the two parties have come down heavily on the B S Yeddyurappa-led Government for triggering defections through use of “money power”.

While Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and Congress leader M Mallikarjun Kharge termed the recent developments as “undemocratic” and a “mockery of democracy”, JD (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda threatened that he would leave no stone unturned to teach BJP a lesson.

He called upon secular parties to come together of a single platform to meet the challenges posed by the BJP to the survival of secularism. With the BJP planning to field the defected MLAs as BJP candidates in the by-elections, Gowda even suggested that his party was ready to field a common candidate against the “turncoats” and defeat the BJP’s designs.

“We are ready to field a common candidate in association with other parties to defeat BJP in the by-election for constituencies being vacated by those who joined the BJP”, Gowda said.

Though Congress leaders have responded positively to Gowda’s suggestion, Kharge said the party High Command would take a final decision in the regard.

Meanwhile, the Congress leadership has begun a damage control exercise to prevent more MLAs from joining the BJP by rushing Federal Minister for Coal Santosh Bagrodia to Bangalore to hold talks with disgruntled Congress leaders including former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
After holding talks with Bagrodia, Siddaramaiah is reported to be leaving for a four-day holiday in Mauritius along his close aide and former Federal Minister C M Ibrahim.