Resort politics has once again taken centre-stage in the state of Karnataka amid allegations of poaching being traded by both the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition and the Opposition BJP.
After the BJP flew its 104 MLAs to Delhi and cooped them up in a resort in Gurugram, the Congress on Friday, 18 January, shifted its lawmakers to the all-too-familiar Eagleton Resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah said his party was shifting its MLAs to a resort to “escape” from the BJP’s “onslaught”.
This came on a day when four dissidents skipped the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Bengaluru that was called as a show of strength against an alleged bid by the BJP to dislodge the HD Kumaraswamy government.
- Two Independent MLAs – R Shankar and H Nagesh – had withdrawn their support to the JD(S)-Congress coalition
- The BJP MLAs along with the Independents account for 106 seats
- The magic number to form the government in Karnataka is 113 seats
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Siddaramaiah Takes His MLAs to Eagleton Resort, Buses Arrive
Briefly after the press meet by Siddaramaiah, a bus was spotted arriving at Vidhan Soudha to take Congress legislators to Eagleton resort in the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Talking to ANI about his party’s MLAs, Kumaraswamy said, “Nothing will happen, they will also come and join us. I am regularly in touch with them.
Move MLAs to a Resort to Discuss LS Polls, Declares Siddaramaiah
Addressing the press meet, Siddaramaiah has announced that his party will move MLAs to a resort to discuss Lok Sabha polls.
The Congress chief said,"The BJP has been making failed attempts. They are working against the democracy. They neither believe in democracy nor Constitution. BSY says they went to Delhi to discuss Lok Sabha polls, let me ask him what they have been doing at Gurugram with all their MLAs."
"Everyone including central leadership like Amit Shah are involved in this. They want to bring this government by hook or crook because Karnataka is the only state they are in power in the south. They won't win a single seat anywhere else," he said in a press meet.
All Four Missing MLAs Will Have to Explain Their Absence: Siddaramaiah
Addressing a press meet, Congress leader Siddaramaiah has asked the MLAs who skipped the Congress Legislature Meet to explain their absence.
'Unwell' MLA Writes to Siddaramaiah
Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav has missed the party’s legislature meet and in a letter addressed to party chief Siddaramaiah, he has said that “he is unwell and won’t be able to travel”.