All our MLAs intact... why is BJP keeping its MLAs in hotel: Mallikarjun Kharge

For the first time since the BJP allegedly tried to poach on the ruling Congress-JDS MLAs in Karnataka, the Congress central leadership on Wednesday asserted that their MLAs “are fully intact” and claimed that the “state coalition government continues to be stable and strong”. The Congress also asked why 100-odd BJP MLAs were camping in a hotel near Delhi, and dared the saffron party to “free them”. Amid re -ports that at least two of the “so-called m i s s i n g ” Cong r e s s MLAs have returned to Bengaluru, AICC general secretary from Karnataka, Mallikarjun Kharge, said at an official press conference: “The BJP has the habit of spreading rumours on TV channels. All our MLAs are intact. They all will be there for the scheduled Congress Legislature Party meeting. The Congress-JDS government in Karnataka is stable and strong, and will continue to be so,” Kharge explained. “BJP had said that there will be ‘kranti’ (revolution) on Sankrati? What happened to that? Sankranti went off well but there was no kranti,” he said.

Kharge then asked why is the BJP leadership still keeping its Karnataka MLAs at a five-star hotel near Delhi. “Why is the BJP keeping its MLAs in a hotel in Gurugram? If you believe in democracy, why not let them go? There is a major festival in Karnataka and yet they are holed up in a hotel.”

On BJP’s accusation that the Congress too is trying to poach on the saffron party’s MLAs, Kharge said: “We are not calling anyone. But if some people decide to come, we can’t keep our door shut.” Kharge said: “The BJP has always tried to destabilise stable governments in the country. Whether Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand or Arunachal, BJP tried to put in their own government by first dividing coalitions and then cobbling up the rest. But they cannot succeed in Karnataka and I appeal to the people of the country to see how they are trying to remove a stable government,” he said.