5 BJP MLAs ready to quit party: Dinesh Gundu Rao

KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao on Wednesday claimed seven BJP MLAs were ready to quit the party to join the Congress.

Speaking to reporters at the KPCC office in Bengaluru amid hectic political developments in the Congress, Rao said that it was more or less confirmed that two BJP MLAs were ready to quit the party and join the Congress. Besides, five more BJP legislators were ready to quit and join the JD(S).

Rao’s statement comes as a counter to speculation that the Jarkiholi brothers – Ramesh and Satish – will quit the Congress along with their supporters. Rao said several BJP MLAs were “fed up” with the internal differences and bickerings in the party. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy too on Tuesday had claimed that five to six BJP will put in their papers soon.

Rao warned BJP leaders against trying to approach Congress MLAs. “If they continue to that, we will not keep quiet. We will give the BJP leaders a taste of their own medicine,” Rao added.

The state Congress chief claimed that the BJP had been putting pressure on Raichur Rural MLA Basanagouda Daddal and H D Kote MLA Anil Chikkamadu to quit the party.

“However, all our legislators are together. The BJP’s efforts to pouch our MLAs will boomerang”, he said.

He said all issues, including the differences among leaders in Belagavi, will be resolved internally.