Karnataka ministers flay Nirani over '50 Congress MLAs in touch with BJP' comment

Ministers Priyank Kharge and M B Patil took a swipe at senior BJP leader Murugesh Nirani’s comment that more than 50 Congress MLAs were in touch with the BJP high command and the ruling party’s disgruntled legislators would bring down the government 

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priaynk Kharge said, “This is a clear admission of guilt from the BJP itself that it is trying to topple the government through illegal means. I would like to know the source of such large money to buy 50 MLAs.”

He dared the BJP to just try poaching five Congress MLAs instead of making such tall statements.

Meanwhile, Industries Minister M B Patil, speaking to reporters, said that the Congress has the capacity to wean away 20 to 25 MLAs from both BJP and JD(S) camps.

Reacting to Nirani’s statement of 50 Congress MLAs in touch with the BJP central leaders, Patil said the state BJP leaders must worry more about their internal affairs than thinking about the Congress.

“At least 20 to 25 MLAs from both the JD(S) and the BJP are in touch with the
Congress party. If the BJP tries to wean even a single MLA away from us, we will surely get their MLAs into our party,” he said.

Patil further said, such statements make sense when the ruling party is having a wafer thin majority in the Assembly, which is not the case at present.

The people of Karnataka have given a decisive mandate of 136 seats. So, it’s not easy to topple the government here, he added.