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Shivakumar trying to poach BJP MLAs by offering them poll tickets, alleges CM
The chief minister’s statement comes after several leaders from the BJP who were denied tickets have joined the Congress. The latest in the list was a popular BJP leader from the chief minister’s home district Haveri. Manjunath Kunnur, a close aide of Bommai, joined the Congress on Monday
Bengaluru: Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday alleged that KPCC president DK Shivakumar is trying to poach Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs by offering them tickets, saying the Congress party is frustrated as it doesn’t have good candidates and hence is approaching the ruling party leaders.
“KPCC president DK Shivakumar for the last two to three days has been making phone calls to our MLAs in 100 constituencies where they are yet to announce candidates. He is stating that if you (BJP MLAs) come (to Congress) we will give you the ticket,” the chief minister told reporters in Bagalkote district.
“Congress leaders are frustrated; they don’t have proper candidates at all, so he (Shivakumar) is calling our party people. This shows that as a matter of fact the Congress party is bankrupt,” Bommai said.
The Congress has announced its first list of 124 candidates on March 25 for the upcoming assembly polls to be held by May and is yet to announce tickets for 100 seats. Karnataka has a total of 224 assembly segments.
The chief minister’s statement comes after several leaders from the BJP who were denied tickets have joined the Congress. The latest in the list was a popular BJP leader from the chief minister’s home district Haveri. Manjunath Kunnur, a close aide of Bommai, joined the Congress on Monday.
Along with Kunnur, his son Raju Kunnur, KR Pet Janata Dal (Secular) leader Devaraj, Shivamogga BJP leader Arun, and prominent JD(S) leader Sudhakar and others from Chintamani joined the Congress party in the presence of Shivakumar in Bengaluru.
Speaking on this occasion, Shivakumar said, “Is it possible to gain the trust of the people of the state when the chief minister of the state does not take his close friends into confidence? Manjunath Kunnurr is a former member of the Lok Sabha and a three-time MLA. He is leaving the BJP and joining the Congress party unconditionally. This is proof that BJP leaders themselves want to change the chief minister.”
Kunnur, after joining the party, said, “Going forward, I will die in the Congress party. BJP is not a leader-based party. It is a terror-based party. I’ve seen the party very closely.”
Shivakumar or the Congress party is yet to respond to the chief minister’s allegations of poaching.
In the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP had won 104 seats and emerged as the single-largest party but failed to form the government as the Congress and the JD(S) joined hands. But the coalition government collapsed on July 23, 2019 after the Congress and JD(S) lawmakers quit.
