Many Cong, JD(S) MLAs eager to join BJP, claims BSY
BENGALURU: With the Assembly election in the state approaching, party-hopping is gaining pace. JD(S) MLAs Manappa Vajjal, representing Lingasugur, and Dr Shivaraj Patil from Raichur, joined BJP here on Thursday in the presence of party state president B S Yeddyurappa and Union ministers Ananth Kumar and Piyush Goyal.Earlier in the day, the two MLAs had quit from their primary membership of the JD(S) and also submitted their resignation from Assembly membership to Speaker K B Koliwad. Speaking on the occasion, the two MLAs said they were compelled to quit JD(S) as the party leadership had totally neglected them and was trying to foist others in their respective constituencies in the coming Assembly election.
With this, the number of JD(S) MLAs deserting the party has risen to nine. The party has already severed its ties with rebel MLAs Zameer Ahmed Khan, Cheluvaraya Swamy, Iqbal Ansari, Balakrishna, Ramesh Bandisiddegowda, Bheema Nayak and Akhanda Srinivas Murthy, who had voted against the party’s official candidate and supported Congress in the Rajya Sabha polls.
NO ALLIANCE WITH JD(S), SAYS GOYAL
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who is also the BJP’s election in-charge in the state, scotched reports of an alliance between BJP and JD(S) ahead of the Assembly election. “There is no question of any alliance or understanding with JD(S) as the BJP is set to win 150 seats on its own strength,” he said.