Karnataka: Congress, JD(S) move lawmakers from Bengaluru to Hyderabad to avoid defection
Bengaluru/Hyderabad, May 18 (IBNS): Adding to the political drama in Karnataka, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) moved all its elected MLAs from a Bengaluru resort to the one in Hyderabad on Thursday midnight, in an attempt to keep the lawmakers away from an alleged horsetrading by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), media reports said.
The Congress and the JD(S) together have 117 MLAs, with JD(S)' Chief Ministerial candidate HD Kumaraswamy winning from two seats.
Immediately after the poll results came out on Tuesday, the two parties have made lodging arrangements for its lawmakers at the Eagleton resort near Bengaluru.
Three buses reportedly carried the lawmakers from Bengaluru to Hyderabad at midnight.
The Congress and JD(S), which had won 78 and 38 seats respectively, had united after the poll results to keep the BJP out of power.
With 104 seats, the BJP might look helpless to prove majority but the saffron brigade and its top leadership are exuding confidence in touching the magic figure.
At this juncture, the Congress and the JD(S) have accused the BJP of a possible horsetrading to return to power after a gap of five years in the state.
The Congress and the JD(S) knocked the door of the Supreme Court on Wednesday night, following Karnataka Governor Valubhai Vala's invitation to BS Yeddyurappa, the BJP chief ministerial candidate, to take oath as the CM.
However, after a three-hour long hearing in the midnight drama, the top court had refused to stay the swearing-in ceremony, which was held on Thursday.
Though not staying the oath-taking ceremony, the top court has asked Yeddyurappa to submit the letter of supports from all MLAs to the court on Friday.
The Governor has triggered a row after granting 15 days to the BJP to prove majority, prompting Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is fighting the case for the grand old party, to state in the court 'as an invitation to horsetrading'.
Image: Youtube grab/screenshot
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