Bengaluru: Energy minister, D.K. Shivakumar on Sunday lashed out at BJP leaders for indulging in ‘horse trading’ and political corruption to win elections.
Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, DKS said, “BJP state president B. S. Yeddurappa is the original father of resort politics. I do not have to remind BJP national leaders about it. We have just taken a leaf out of their book, the Gujarat MLAs have come here to stay just to stay clear of the poaching efforts.”
Yeddyurappa after he assumed power in the state in 2008, had tucked away his loyalist MLAs at resorts whenever he faced a challenge to his leadership from rival camps within the party.
Lashing out at the BJP over its criticism of Gujarat Congress legislators, camping in a resort in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said that the Gujarat MLAs would stay in Bengaluru as long as they wish to. “I am here just as a host taking care of them. The qualities of Mahatma are there in these MLAs , they have come here protect our party’s honour,” he said.
Gujarat Congress leader and AICC spokesperson, Shakti Sinh Gohil accused BJP that it has tried to purchase 22 MLAs by offering Rs 15 crore for cross-voting during the Upper House polls which was why the MLAs had shifted from their home state to Bengaluru to stay safe.
“Democracy is passing through testing times. I request the media to save democracy. We have all of them here, you can ask them anything you want. We are living like a family. Where are the internal problems the BJP is talking about? Just see how we respect each other. Had our party MLAs not been threatened, what was the need for us to stay here (in Bengaluru) even for a minute?” he asked.
Former AICC general secretary, B.K. Hariprasad accused BJP national president Amit Shah for luring their party legislators for a whopping sum to cross over to their camp.
“We had to safeguard our party MLAs, so, we did this and there is nothing wrong in it. Mr Shah’s single point agenda is to defeat leaders belonging to the minority community wherever they contest, by hook or crook. As part of this agenda, he is trying his best to defeat our party leader Ahmed Patel(in the Rajya Sabha polls),” he said.
