Karnataka: ‘We have been instructed not to topple JD(S)-Congress government,’ says BJP’s Yeddyurappa
The state unit BJP chief claimed Congress leader K Siddaramaiah was sending MLAs to join the BJP for ‘political leverage’.
Bharatiya Janata Party Karnataka unit chief BS Yeddyurappa on Friday said the party leadership has instructed him not to be involved in any plans to destabilise the state government run by the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress, ANI reported.
“The BJP is not eager to come to power and there is no need for that,” Yeddyurappa told reporters in Bengaluru, according to The Hindu. “On the outset, it looks like Siddaramaiah is sending four legislators and playing a game to prove his importance in the party. Understanding this, the party high command has directed us not to destabilise the government.”
Yeddyurappa had met the party’s central leadership in Delhi on Thursday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. “We will remain silent for the time being,” ANI quoted him as saying. “They [Congress] may fight with each other and anything can happen. We have been clearly informed not to disturb or attempt to topple the government in the state.”
Yeddyurappa said the party’s central leadership had received information on an alleged bid by K Siddaramaiah, who is the Congress Legislature Party leader, to send four Congress MLAs to join the BJP in order to topple the coalition government, The Times of India reported. “We won’t allow the plan to succeed at BJP’s expense,” he said.
BS Yeddyurappa, BJP: We will remain silent for the time being. They (Congress) may fight with each other and anything can happen. We've been clearly informed not to disturb or attempt to topple the government in the state. #Karnataka (31.05.2019) https://t.co/svOAkefdUa
— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2019
Senior leaders of the Karnataka Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) had met in Bengaluru on Wednesday amid reports of rift between the coalition partners. There was also speculation about a Cabinet reshuffle to save the coalition government.
The coalition government in the state has been vulnerable since it was formed in May 2018 and speculation of its collapse have surfaced every now and then. Former Congress MLA KN Rajanna on Monday had claimed that the coalition government will collapse by June 10.
The BJP has 105 MLAs in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, while the coalition has 116 MLAs and the support of two Independents and a Bahujan Samaj Party MLA. In the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won bagged 25 of the 28 seats in the state.