Union Minister and BJP leader Pralhad Joshi
Credit: PTI Photo
Hubballi: Tearing into the Congress leadership in the state, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar have been engaged in 'horse trading' using money power in a bid to secure the CM post.
Joshi here on Sunday was reacting to Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar’s claim that the BJP was threatening MLAs with Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids and preparing for ‘Operation Kamala’ with a list of 55 MLAs.
Joshi dismissed the allegation as false and misleading. It is the Congress that is engaged in buying their own MLAs to secure the chief minister’s position. Kashappanavar is making false claims to distract the public and hide internal dealings, he said.
“Only those involved in illegal activities need to fear ED raids. What wrong has Kashappanavar done that he is so worried about?” Joshi questioned.
He claimed that Congress is suffering with internal conflicts, especially after Siddaramaiah reportedly stated that Shivakumar lacked sufficient MLA support. “The CM and DyCM are competing like rivals, trying to showcase their strength before the high command by purchasing MLAs. “This is no less than a market, where traders and buyers are powerful, and horses and goods are ready for sale,” he mocked.
“In 2019 our party (BJP) needed the support of nine MLAs to form the government, some MLAs from other parties voluntarily joined us. Now, the Congress high command seems unable to control the state unit, and the battle has turned into a number game to determine the CM post,” he said.
'75 years' remark
Reacting to a question, Joshi defended RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent statement suggesting that those over 75 years of age should retire from politics. “Bhagwat said it naturally, but some are wrongly interpreting it as a hint for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step down. That’s not correct,” he clarified.