The episode of speculation about the possibility of a few BJP legislators returning to the Congress triggered a war of words between the leaders of the two parties on Friday even as a BJP MLA, who is speculated as getting ready to join the Congress, turned up at the BJP State office and claimed that he did not have plans to change political loyalty.
Taking serious exception to the reported moves to woo party MLAs by the Congress, BJP leader C.T. Ravi questioned the need for it as the Congress has full majority and warned that the BJP will not keep quiet if its MLAs are wooed by the Congress.
In an obvious reference to four Ministers writing to the party high command against recommendation to nominate a former Enforcement Directorate official to the Legislative Council, he said such an episode was a clear indication that everything was not alright in the government. Alleging that the ruling Congress was not in a position to keep its senior MLAs together, he said the party government should focus on good administration rather than inducing political desertions.
Launching a counter attack, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar wondered how the BJP could oppose any of its MLAs joining the Congress when it has indulged in political defections when it was in power.
Without commenting on the speculations about a few BJP MLAs getting ready to join the Congress, Mr. Shivakumar only said that it would not be possible to prevent anyone from taking a call on their political future.
Earlier, former Minister S.T. Somashekhar visited the BJP State office in Bengaluru and met Mr. Ravi. Mr. Somashekhar remarked that he is physically and mentally in the BJP. He said he had discussed issues related to the constituency with Mr. Ravi and maintained that he had not attended the Friday’s meeting convened by the party due to preoccupations.
