Bengaluru: BJP leaders are trying to poach Congress and independent corporators by offering them money said Transport minister R. Ramalinga Reddy here at press meet held at KPCC office.
Transport minister R. Ramalinga Reddy, food and civil supplies minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, agriculture minister Krishna Byre Gowda and Yeswanthpur legislator S.T. Somashekar organised a press meet at KPCC office on Friday. The Saffron party is desperate ahead of the September 11 mayoral election and the top BJP leaders are trying to poach Congress and independent corporators by offering them money in order to reinforce thier majority in the BBMP, said Reddy.
Operation Kamala returns, says Reddy
“A corporator from the Yelahanka Assembly segment was offered money. She had quit the BJP and won on a Congress ticket in BBMP polls held on August 22. They played an ugly game with Operation Kamala, and are now trying to wean away newly elected Congress and independent members. After coming to know about it, we have decided to take all our winners to a secret location till September 11 to prevent them from being poached by BJP leaders.”
Reddy denied allegations that they were resorting to horse-trading, and said that BJP is involved in horse trading and such tactics were resorted to by the previous BJP government with the minelords of Ballari who lured 20 JD(S) and Congress legislators to continue in power.
“We are not indulging in Operation Hastha to woo the winners of other parties thanks to support of JD(S) and seven independent members. No offer has been made to independent members and they came on their own to support the Congress. Our intention is to provide a clean and corruption-free administration in the interest of development of Bengaluru city,” they added.
Defending the deal with JD (S) leaders, they said there were no permanent friends or enemies in politics, and every party ought to change its stand according to the situation.
BJP wants to return to power to cover up earlier scams
Criticising BJP leaders for protesting against Congress-JD(S) alliance, Reddy who is also Bengaluru in-charge minister said, “They have no moral ground to find fault with us. They want to return to power only to cover up their misdeeds and scams in the BBMP”, he added.
Brushing aside the BJP’s charge that the electoral list for the mayoral election had been tweaked to deny the BJP power, he said, “It is in accordance with the provisions of the KMC Act, which has been in vogue since 1997-98.” He also recalled the participation of BJP MPs, MLAs and MLCs in mayoral elections in the past.
Reddy clarified that seven independent members had extended unconditional support to the Congress-JD(S) combine. “They are supporting us to ensure a better, transparent and non-corrupt civic governance,” he said.
