As the pressure mounts on the BJP to prove majority in the Karnataka state Assembly, they are allegedly threatening, bullying and harassing Congress MLAs. DK Shivakumar, Campaign President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, has accused the BJP of abducting MLA Anand Singh enroute to Bangalore and intimidating other MLAs. Some MLAs, including Singh, have been allegedly threatened with Enforcement Directorate enquiries.
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Just a day ago, HD Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) had alleged that the BJP was trying to bribe its MLAs into defecting to their side by promising them Rs 100 crores each! The Congress was keeping its MLAs in the Eagleton Resort in Bidadi in Ramanagara District to protect them and also to prevent horse trading or defections. The MLAs had briefly left the resort to hold a protest outside the Vidhan Soudha, but returned later in the day.
While police protection was initially provided it was abruptly withdrawn and the police chief of the district was suddenly transferred! The Congress itself took to checking each car coming into the resort for BJP emissaries and cars going out of the resort to see if it was smuggling MLAs.
The sudden removal of police cover forced the Congress to fly the MLAs out to neighbouring states. Kerala government offered them protection and the Congress was to fly its MLAs to Kochi. But, this time the aviation department played spoil sport and grounded their plane! The chartered flight that was to fly the Congress MLAs out was denied permission to take off from the HAL Airport. This forced them to take buses to Hyderabad.
Meanwhile the Supreme Court is all set to hear the petition by the Congress and JD(S) challenging the Karnataka Governor’s invitation to the BJP to form the government. The SC had earlier asked the BJP to produce the letter given to the governor proving majority, but refused to stay the swearing in of BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate BS Yedyurappa.