Amid the ongoing high octane drama in Karnataka, the state Congress In-charge KC Venugopal on Wednesday said that every Congress MLA is with the party and he is personally in touch with each one of them. He added that a massive protest would be held against BJP in Karnataka on Thursday.
"I told you that every congress MLA is with us. I am already in touch with everybody, you should now expose the BJP plan," he said while interacting with media persons.
"Why you are not asking anything to BJP. It is a national blame for them, ruling party is doing things like this," he said slamming the BJP.
"Every day they (BJP) are trying to destabilise the democratic government, is it a part of democracy? Tomorrow we are holding massive protest against BJP throughout Karnataka for their misdoing," he said.
"Let the BJP take their MLA safely to Karnataka," Venugopal added.
Earlier in the day, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had said the Congress MLAs who are in Mumbai are constantly in touch with him and assured that the three legislators will return soon. The Congress had alleged that its three MLAs were taken to Mumbai by the BJP in an attempt to lure them into their fold.
The BJP, while dismissing these claims, alleged poaching attempts by the Congress. The BJP, in fact, has housed all its 104 MLAs in a hotel in Gurugram, fearing poaching by the Congress. In the 224-member Assembly, JD(S) has 37 MLAs and its coalition partner has 80. It has the support of some Independents in the House where the majority figure is 113.
The withdrawal of support by the two Independent MLAs will not affect the stability of the government but it comes against the backdrop of a political drama wherein the Congress and Opposition BJP are leveling charges of horse-trading.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)