BJP is threatening our MLAs in Karnataka: Mallikarjun Kharge

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has alleged that the BJP is scaring his party MLAs in Karnataka by taking the name of institutions like CBI, CVC, Income Tax, and ED in a bid to gain their support.

"The BJP is threatening Congress MLAs in Karnataka by taking the name of Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate (ED), CBI, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and other agencies in order to gain their support," he told reporters here on Wednesday.

Kharge said that JDS and Congress MLAs in Karnataka would soon have a joint meeting to discuss the prevailing political situation in the state. The Congress has already called a meeting of the party legislators on January 18.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Central government is trying to install a BJP government in Karnataka by trying to break our MLAs," Kharge alleged.

Asserting the JDS-Congress government in Karnataka is stable as the MLAs are intact, the Congress veteran said: "BJP president Amit Shah and BJP government are making every bid to form their government but all the 118 MLAs are intact and are sticking to the principles they have been elected for."

He said the BJP is spreading rumours through media that they have 15-20 MLAs in their favour.

"This is not the first time that the BJP is doing this. They have done it in Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand, and Arunachal Pradesh. Now they are trying to replicate this in Karnataka, but they will fail," Kharge said.

The political situation in Karnataka got tumultuous on Tuesday after two independent MLAs--H Nagesh and R Shankar-pulled out of the JDS-Congress government in the state.

Nagesh and Shankar wrote separate letters to Governor Vajubhai Vala, conveying their decision to withdraw their support to the coalition government.

In the 224-member Assembly, JDS has 37 MLAs, while Congress has 80. The government has the support of some Independent MLAs in the House where the majority figure is 113 to stay in power.