Moily attributes crisis to 'poaching'

The present ‘crisis’ in the ruling BJP in Karnataka is the result of its “poaching” of rival party MLAs to form the government four years ago, Corporate Affairs Minister M Veerappa Moily alleged on Monday.

The BJP did not have majority in the last assembly elections and it had to poach on MLAs from JD (S) and Congress to form the ministry, Moily told reporters here on the sidelines of a function. “This (the showdown between Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa) is the result of poaching of MLAs through their Operation Kamala and the party is struggling to bail out the government,” he said.

The BJP was running the government like day-to-day business with some adjustments, by which there was no development in the state and the people were suffering, said the former Karnataka chief minister. “It is unfortunate for Karnataka for having such a Government”, he said, adding, there was “total crisis of character within the BJP”.