Karnataka political turmoil: Coalition government will complete full term, says Congress leader
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal accused the BJP of playing ‘dirty horse-trading games’.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Thursday said the coalition government in Karnataka would complete its full term, and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of indulging in “horse-trading”, PTI reported.
“We are very sure that nothing will happen to the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government,” he said. “It will continue for the full term.”
Two independent legislators on Tuesday withdrew their support to the alliance. The ruling coalition now has 116 legislators in the 224-member Karnataka Legislative Assembly, while the BJP has 104 MLAs. The majority mark is 113.
“Once again, this party, the ruling party of India, has been exposed before the people of Karnataka and the country,” Venugopal said. “Their dirty horse-trading games have been established in Karnataka.”
Venugopal asserted that no Congress legislator would quit the party. “This is the way the BJP is trying to poach our MLAs,” he claimed. “They are offering crores and crores of rupees, everything is in the public domain now.”
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had reiterated on Wednesday that the coalition government was running smoothly, claiming that he was in touch with the party MLAs allegedly in Mumbai under the BJP’s control.
Karnataka BJP President BS Yeddyurappa has denied allegations that his party was trying to topple the coalition government. The saffron party flew 101 of its 104 MLAs to a hotel in Gurugram on Monday night “to strategise for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections”. The BJP MLAs are expected to decide on returning to the state after the Congress scheduled a legislature party meeting for Friday.
Meanwhile, state Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao on Thursday said he hoped the BJP MLAs would return home “sufficiently rejuvenated” from their “extended holiday”.
“We extend a hearty welcome to all Karnataka BJP MLAs who are returning home after an extended holiday at a luxury resort near Delhi,” he tweeted. “Now that they are sufficiently rejuvenated let us hope they will attend to the work of their constituencies which they have neglected for long.”