The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘BJP is poaching Opposition MLAs’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘BJP is poaching Opposition MLAs’

Special Correspondent

Kharge calls it ‘murder of democracy’

BANGALORE: Terming the poaching of Opposition MLAs by the Bharatiya Janata Party as “murder of democracy”, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly M. Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday alleged that the objective of the BJP government is to cling on to power without implementing the promises that it had made in its election manifesto.

Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, Mr. Kharge, who is also the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, said MLAs from the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), who had crossed over to the BJP, had “betrayed” the voters of their constituencies by changing their political loyalties.

Umesh Katti and D.C. Gowrishankar of the Janata Dal (S) joined the BJP on Monday.

Mr. Kharge said Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and his Cabinet colleagues had no moral right to continue in office as they were embroiled in a conspiracy to poach Opposition MLAs just to remain in power. The poaching would have an adverse impact on the BJP, contrary to the party’s principle that its Government would become stronger.

He said the MLAs who have joined the BJP have violated the Anti-Defection Law. The Opposition parties had secured 1.6 crore votes while the BJP received 88 lakh votes in the last Assembly elections. Stating that the BJP Government would not address the regional imbalances in the State, Mr. Kharge alleged that one legislator joined the BJP by getting development works worth Rs. 7.5 crore sanctioned for his constituency. He also spoke against the official tour of the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues to the U.S. next week to attend the 5th World Kannada Conference, from August 29 in Chicago. It was not good on the part of the Chief Minister to visit the U.S. when the people of the State are reeling under floods.

Rain damage

Standing crops in several districts, houses, roads and bridges were damaged in the recent rain havoc, he said. Potato crop worth Rs. 200 crore was damaged in Hassan district. So far, the Government has not paid compensation to the rain-affected families and farmers.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka