BENGALURU: The Congress is packing off its corporators to a resort, saying it has to stave off a BJP raid.
Top BJP leaders, in an attempt to reinforce their majority in the BBMP, are trying to poach Congress and independent corporators by offering them money, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters here on Friday.
Reddy, who is also Bengaluru in-charge minister, said the saffron party was desperate ahead of the September 11 mayoral election.
“They played an ugly game with Operation Kamala, and are now trying to wean away newly elected Congress and independent members,” he said. Operation Kamala refers to the Yeddyurappa government garnering support by allegedly bribing independents.
Reddy said a corporator from the Yelahanka Assembly segment was offered money. “Taking note of the BJP’s actions, we have decided to shift our corporators to a safe place till the day of the mayoral election,” he said.
‘No Moral Ground’
The BJP wants to return to power only to cover up its misdeeds and scams in the BBMP, he said. Criticising BJP leaders protesting against the Congress-JD(S) alliance, he said, “They have no moral ground to find fault with us.”
Brushing aside the BJP’s charge that the electoral list for the mayoral election had been tweaked to deny the BJP power, he said, “It is in accordance with the provisions of the KMC Act, which has been in vogue since 1997-98.”
He also recalled the participation of BJP MPs, MLAs and MLCs in mayoral elections in the past.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Agriculture Minister Krishna Byregowda also defended their party’s efforts to strike an alliance with the JD(S).
Reddy clarified that seven independent members had extended unconditional support to the Congress-JD(S) combine. “They are supporting us to ensure a better, transparent and non-corrupt civic governance,” he said.
Denying reports that the JD(S) had asked the Congress to drop its plan to divide the BBMP, he said, “These are small things which can be sorted out when KPCC president G Parameshwara and the state JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy talk.”