A day after the counting and result of the Karnataka Assembly polls, the Congress expressed faith in their abilities to form the coalition government with the JD(S) even as speculation suggests that the BJP is aggressively attempting to poach their MLAs.
Several prominent leaders issued statements in this regard as they interacted with reporters while arriving at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office on Queen’s Road, Vasanth Nagar for a party legislative meeting.
“All the Congress MLAs are intact. Nobody is missing. We are confident of forming the government,” CM Siddaramaiah told ANI outside the KPCC office.
Elected Congress representative from Kushtagi, Amaregouda Linganagouda Patil Bayyapur, confirmed that he had received an offer from the BJP.
“I got a call from the BJP leaders. They said come to us and we'll give a ministry to you. We'll make you a minister. But, I'm going to stay here. HD Kumaraswamy is our Chief Minister,” Linganagouda Patil told ANI.
On being asked whether they are aware of the BJPs tactics and if they have any plan to outmanoeuvre them, DK Shivakumar, former minister of energy told reporters that the Congress is prepared.
“They (BJP) are poaching our MLAs, we know that. Every day there is a lot of pressure. But it not so easy because two parties have the necessary number. People are watching this. Yes definitely there is a plan. We have to safeguard our MLAs, We will let you know what is the plan,' said Shivakumar.
"I don't know what they (BJP) are offering but they are trying to call our people. We are all together, no one can touch our party. Our party MLAs are loyal to the party" said JD(S) leader Saravana.
I don't know what they (BJP) are offering but they are trying to call our people, but they are not responding. We are all together, no one can touch our party. Our party MLAs are loyal to the party: Saravana, JD(S) #KarnatakaElections2018 pic.twitter.com/3q0OAehwWq
— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2018
Meanwhile, on the other side, BJP leader KS Eshwarappa issued a war cry as he expressed his confidence in his party forming the government in Karnataka.
“There is no doubt we will form govt, 100% we'll do that. Wait and watch. Results came out only yesterday. It has been only a day. See what can happen in Karnataka in a day,” Eshwarappa told ANI.
BJP observers for Karnataka, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, JP Nadda and Prakash Javadekar have also arrived at the BJP office for legislative party meeting.
