BHUBANESWAR/BENGALURU: The Congress on Friday defended shifting its MLAs to Bengaluru, saying the move was aimed at preventing horse-trading by the BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls on March 16.
Eight Congress MLAs accompanied by president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Bhakta Charan Das had flown to Bengaluru on Thursday night. The MLAs including Ashok Kumar Das, Dr CS Raajen Ekka, Kadraka Appalaswamy, Mangu Khilla, Nilamadhab Hikaka, Pabitra Saunta, Prafulla Chandra Pradhan and Satyajeet Gomango have been accommodated at Wonderla resort at Bidadi on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Karnataka deputy chief minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar, who is hosting them, visited them on the day. He later told mediapersons that the Odisha Congress chief and the legislators discussed with him about the pressure built by the ruling BJP to support the party-backed independent candidate Dilip Ray in the polls.
“The MLAs had received threats and offers from the rival camp and it is our duty to protect them. They are tough and don’t want to be part of Operation Lotus and will vote for the independent candidate supported by Congress, BJD and CPI(M). They have come of their own will and it is our duty to take care of them. They have come here fearing horse-trading, for which BJP is known for,” the deputy CM said.
On Union minister Pralhad Joshi’s statement that Congress doesn’t have faith in its own MLAs and that was why MLAs were brought to Karnataka, Shivakumar said, “Why did BJP conduct ‘Operation Lotus’ in Karnataka? State leaders are fathers of Operation Lotus.”
Shivakumar was accompanied by AICC secretary Mayur Jaikumar, Karnataka MLAs HC Balakrishna and CP Yogeshwar. Meanwhile, questions are being raised why only eight of the total 14 MLAs of Congress in Odisha were flown to Karnataka.
While Congress legislature party leader Ramchandra Kadam had to stay back because the Assembly is in session, Mohana MLA Dasarathi Gomango, who was among the nine asked to accompany Das to Bengaluru, missed the flight.
Kadam said Gomango could not accompany the team as he was in his constituency. He left for Bengaluru via Visakhapatnam on the day, Kadam said. But his whereabouts could not verified independently.
The CLP leader also told this paper that Congress MLAs may also meet party president Mallikarjun Kharge either at Bengaluru or New Delhi depending on his availability. All the legislators along with the state president will return to Bhubaneswar on March 16 to cast their vote, he said.
Despite the efforts to keep the flock together, the deep fissures within the party were also exposed on the day with Cuttack-Barabati Sofia Firdous saying she was not aware of the visit and maintained that she had no reason to travel elsewhere. “We have only heard that they have gone, but we have no knowledge of it. We were never told to go anywhere and we can make our own decisions. Why do I need to go? I am here after being elected by the people,” Firdous said.
Senior Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said the legislators had travelled on their own and ruled out any political motive behind the visit. “Many of them had not visited outside the state. No one has taken them forcibly. They have gone for two days and will return after having some fun,” he said.