IN A SETBACK, 4 CONG MLAs SKIP KARNATAKA MEETING

Bengaluru, Jan. 18: Four dissidents skipped the Congress Legislature Party meeting here on Friday that was called as a show of strength in a counter to an alleged bid by the BJP to topple the coalition government in Karnataka.

The absence of four lawmakers posed no imminent threat to the seven-month old Congress-JDS government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy but suggested that all was not well within the Congress which has been hit by dissidence.

In a notice issued to Congress MLAs ahead of the meet, CLP leader and former CM Siddaramaiah had warned that absence of MLAs would be viewed “seriously” and action taken against them under the AntiDefection Law.

Kolkata, Jan. 18: Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy alleged that Prime Minster Narendra Modi was talking about fighting corruption but his party was trying to poach Congress legislators by using money.

“What you have been watching for one week, (is) how the BJP is trying to destabilise the stable government in Karnataka. I want to put one question to the honourable Prime Minister: Recently, during his party meeting, he (Modi) said he wanted to remove corruption and clean the country. For this, he requested citizen of the country to support him.”

“But what's going on in Karnataka? Which money they (BJP) are offering to Congress MLAs to support them? From where the money is coming,” Mr Kumaraswamy asked.

Asked about four Congress MLAs missing from the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting, he said, “Nothing will happen, they will also come and join us.”

Mr Kumaraswamy, who is Kolkata to take part in Opposition rally on Saturday, said the rally would be a memorable day in national politics towards a change in the 2019 elections.