Bengaluru: Hitting out at the BJP over its criticism of Gujarat Congress legislators, camping in a plush resort in the city to avoid possible poaching efforts, Energy minister, D.K. Shivakumar on Sunday retorted that the Congress need not learn any lessons from BJP leaders in this regard.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr Shivakumar charged that the ‘original father of resort politics’ was none other than BJP state president B. S. Yeddurappa. “I do not have to remind BJP national leaders about it. We have just taken a leaf out of their book, the Gujarat MLAs have come here to stay just to stay clear of the poaching efforts,” the energy minister said defending the move to shift them from their home state to Bengaluru. Yeddyurappa after he assumed power in the state in 2008, had tucked away his loyalist MLAs at resorts whenever he faced a challenge to his leadership from rival camps within the party.
Mr Shivakumar added that the Gujarat MLAs would stay in Bengaluru as long as they wish to. "I am here just as a host taking care of them," he asserted. Heaping praise on the MLAs, he said all 44 MLAs who are camping here, are from the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who are remembered for their nobility, pride and loyalty.
“The three qualities which I have mentioned, are there in these MLAs , they have come here protect our party's honour," he said.
Training his guns on BJP national leaders, Mr Shivakumar charged that the saffron party was trying its best to win elections by indulging in political corruption and through horse trading.
Meanwhile, strongly defending the Gujarat Congress party’s move to shift its 44 MLAs to a Bengaluru resort ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls on August 8, former AICC general secretary, B.K. Hariprasad on Sunday claimed that BJP national president, Amit Shah was luring their party legislators for a whopping sum to cross over to their camp.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr Hariprasad said, “We had to safeguard our party MLAs, so, we did this and there is nothing wrong in it. Mr Shah’s single point agenda is to defeat leaders belonging to the minority community wherever they contest, by hook or crook. As part of this agenda, he is trying his best to defeat our party leader Ahmed Patel(in the Rajya Sabha polls).”
Deriding media reports, Mr Hariprasad contended that there was not a grain of truth in reports suggesting that the MLAs were locked up in the resort.
