Karnataka crisis: If I try, we can take BJP MLAs away in 48 hours, says HD Kumaraswamy

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy today (January 19) sounded confident about his government amid reports of the JD(S)-Congress alliance being on shaky grounds. HD Kumaraswamy, who was in Kolkata for Mamata Banerjee's United India Rally, said he can "take BJP MLAs away in 48 hours".

Kumaraswamy was referring to a recent political situation in Karnataka when two independent MLAs on January 15 announced they were withdrawing support from his government, leading to the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trading charges against each other of poaching their MLAs.

India Today TV found Kumaraswamy saying 'there is no problem in poaching BJP MLAs'.

"I can take BJP MLAs away from them in 48 hours. There is no problem at all," Kumaraswamy said.

The Janata Dal (Secular) chief accused the BJP of trying to destabilise his government. However, he was confident that the alliance government in Karnataka has the numbers to remain in power.

"The BJP is trying to disturb my government. We have our MLA's numbers intact. We have sufficient numbers," Kumaraswamy said.

POACH WARS

The Karnataka government has been at the centre of high drama this week. The ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition and the opposition BJP in Karnataka are locked in a new battle, each accusing the other of poaching their MLAs.

In the 224-member Karnataka assembly, the Congress-JD(S) has the support of 118 MLAs combined while the BJP has 104.

Doubling down on the claim that the alliance is safe, Kumaraswamy denied the BJP's allegation that their MLAs were under threat of being poached. "We are not approaching anyone...they [BJP] are. If I try...then we can take away BJP MLA within 48 hours..." he said.

KUMARASWAMY VS BJP

Earlier in the day, Kumaraswamy hit out at the BJP for speaking about fighting corruption and resorting to horse-trading on the same day in the southern state.

"Democracy is being reduced to a number game ... Legislators are being treated as a commodity," Kumaraswamy said at Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee's mega rally in Kolkata.

"The BJP talked about its fight against corruption in its (January 11-12) national executive (national convention in Delhi) and on the same day it resorted to horse-trading in Karnataka, revealing its double standards," he said.

"For us, this is the worst phase where the honour and pride of legislators are at stake. They are making a mockery of democracy in Karnataka. This needs a serious look."

CONGRESS HOLDS CLP MEET

Kumaraswamy's declaration comes at a day when the Congress held a Legislature Party meet in Bengaluru's Eagleton resort.

Bengaluru: Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting starts at Eagleton resort. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/lNQXahMU8K ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2019

The party had moved its MLAs to the hotel on Friday (January 18) to "escape" from the BJP's "onslaught" according to former CM Siddaramaiah.

Speaking to reporters, he said "We will discuss party issues...to escape from the onslaught by the BJP. We will discuss drought, parliament election also."

According to top Congress sources, at least eight party MLAs had committed to the BJP to jumping ship. To avoid this, MLAs were being shifted to a resort on the outskirts of the city, according to the sources.

The chink in the Congress's armour was exposed when four party MLAs skipped the Congress Legislature Party meeting on Friday. The meet was called as a show of strength against an alleged bid by the BJP to dislodge the HD Kumaraswamy government.

The absence of four lawmakers posed no imminent threat to the seven-month-old Congress-JDS government in the number game but suggested that all was not well within the Congress which is still wrestling with dissidence.

The party said it will take strict action against the absentee MLAs. Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge said, "First we'll issue a notice asking for an explanation, then we'll take some action after discussion with party members. Two MLAs have responded, we have issued a notice to other two who did not respond."

BJP MLAs RETURN HOME

Meanwhile, over a hundred Karnataka BJP legislators, who were housed in two hotels here in Haryana for the last five days, on Saturday (January 19) left for their homes.

"The BJP would not destabilise Karnataka's ruling coalition", party state chief BS Yeddyurappa said on Saturday. "We will not try to destabilise this government for any reason, let them not have that fear. We will work as the opposition," Yeddyurappa said.

"Let the Congress-JD(S) leaders not have any doubt about it," he added.

The former chief minister said he had asked all BJP MLAs camping at a Gurugram hotel to return and they would now tour the state's drought-hit areas.

"I have directed all our MLAs in the resort to come to Bengaluru. They have all left, they are all coming [back]," Yeddyurappa said.

The MLAs who were put up in the ITC Grand Bharat resort and Lemon Tree hotel since January 14, on Saturday afternoon left for their 'respective destinations'.

"We were here to discuss the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. There was no link of our staying here regarding political changes being noticed in Karnataka," an MLA told the media as they were leaving.

When asked why the legislators from the other states were not here to discuss the poll strategy, one MLA said, "Please ask the central leadership, we have done our job."

Around 25 MLAs of the 104 Karnataka BJP legislators put up at the ITC Grand Bharat resort for the last few days were shifted to the nearby Lemon Tree hotel on Friday as booking period of rooms was over.

(with inputs from Manogya Loiwal in Kolkata)