Kumaraswamy trying to poach BJP MLAs: Yeddyurappa

Amidst speculations that BJP was making another attempt to form the government by toppling the Congress-JD(S) coalition, the saffron party’s top leadership huddled here with state leaders on Monday.

With reports that six to eight Congress MLAs are ready to jump ship to the BJP side and some lawmakers of the ruling coalition have gone incommunicado, the BJP state leaders have kept their MLAs in the national capital for the past few days, under the close watch of senior leaders - Yeddyurappa, Jagadish Shettar and Shobha Karandlaje.

All BJP MLAs who came to attend the party’s national conference were kept in Karnataka Bhavan and nearby hotels. On Monday evening, they were shifted to a five-star hotel in Gurugram and told to stay in the national capital for two more days.

Despite the party claiming that they were holding the MLAs to discuss Lok Sabha poll strategy, no such meeting was held on Monday.

The party is keeping its MLAs under a close watch to prevent counter operation by Congress-JD(S), sources said.

Alleging that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy was trying to poach BJP MLAs by offering huge money and ministership, Yeddyurappa said, “despite having a majority, the Congress-JD(S) combine is trying to lure our MLAs and is indulging in horse-trading, BJP is not doing it. We, with our 104 MLAs, are ready to work as Opposition peacefully.”

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Accusing the Congress-JD(S) coalition of trying to create confusion, he asked the government to focus on development works.

“They are trying to lure our people with money and minister’s position. We have not done this to any Congress or JD(S) MLA. Kumaraswamy is doing it and he offered money to a BJP MLA from Kalaburagi district,” he added.

Yeddyurappa said the BJP legislators would be in New Delhi for “one or two days” and go to their constituencies for poll preparations.

To a question on resort politics, Yeddyurappa said, “There is no need for us to do any resort politics,” he said.

“There is not even an iota of truth in BJP taking some ruling coalition MLAs to Mumbai. Only Congress and JD(S) know why their MLAs are stationed in Mumbai,” he added.