The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘Political poaching’ draws Left ire

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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Political poaching’ draws Left ire

Special Correspondent

Such actions are an insult to the Constitution, says leaders

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Spirited opposition: Participants at the roundtable meeting in Bangalore on Thursday.

Bangalore: The State unit of the CPI (M) will explore the possibility of filing a public interest litigation petition against the “unethical and illegal” defection of Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) MLAs to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Addressing a roundtable meeting on “Poaching of MLAs and democratic values,” here on Thursday, State secretary of the party V.J.K. Nair, former MLA G.V. Srirama Reddy and CPI (M) leader G.N. Nagaraj said the meeting was only the beginning of a public movement in the State on the issue.

Mr. Reddy said the reported statement of BJP leader and Minister for Energy K.S. Eshwarappa that the party was ready to break other parties was not accidental. It was only part of a bigger design of the BJP.

“The BJP is not a political outfit, but a communal organisation with an agenda.” Its purpose was to establish itself firmly at the Centre and implement its agenda, he said.

The BJP had been destabilising Opposition parties through money power and caste calculations. “Only the numbers are in favour of the BJP,” which was “manipulating democracy.”

Such actions were an insult to the Constitution, the people and democracy.

There was need to create public awareness on the “political poaching,” Mr. Reddy said.

Secretary of the Communist Party of India Siddanagouda Patil said that both the Congress and Janata Dal (S) were responsible for the kind of politics being practised by the BJP.

Had Congress and Janata Dal (S) not encouraged defections on the eve of the elections, the BJP would not have tried this kind of political adventurism.

Janata Dal (S) president and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda should be held responsible for the political situation in the State as it was he who encouraged the BJP to ensure that H.D. Kumaraswamy became Chief Minister, Mr. Patil charged.

There was a political cause when former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah resigned his post and contested elections on the Congress ticket.

But now, Congress and Janata Dal (S) MLAs were defecting to BJP for political benefits and “monetary gains,” he charged.

Writers such as G.K. Govinda Rao, Baragur Ramachandrappa, K. Marulasiddappa and former chairman of the State Backward Class Commission Ravivarma Kumar, who were scheduled to participate in the meeting, did not turn up.

Jnanpith Award winner U.R. Ananthamurthy could not attend owing to ill-health, according to organisers.

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