Bengaluru, Oct 13: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday challenged state BJP president B Y Vijayendra to induct into the saffron party the 25 Congress MLAs, including ministers, whom he claimed would switch sides if elections were held now.
Shivakumar ridiculed Vijayendra’s claim, pointing out that BJP and JD(S) legislators had themselves cross-voted in favour of Congress candidates in the MLC elections held in June.
“Let him (Vijayendra) induct them into the BJP at the earliest. Let him not delay. JD(S) leader-Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Vijayendra both couldn’t identify the 12 legislators who cross-voted. Stating that things were not right in the BJP and NDA, their own MLAs voted for Congress candidates—what else do they want?” Shivakumar told reporters in New Delhi on Monday evening.
Responding to a question on Vijayendra’s claim, Shivakumar said, “Let them not waste time. Let them induct the legislators who want to join their party at the earliest.”
Vijayendra claimed on Monday that the political mood had shifted in the BJP’s favour and that 25 Congress MLAs, including Cabinet ministers, would join the saffron party if elections were held now.
He was responding to a question on whether the BJP was trying to poach ministers from the ruling party. (PTI)
