B Y Vijayendra. File image: TBL archive.
Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra claimed on Monday that 25 Congress MLAs, including members of the state cabinet, would leave the party and join the BJP if Assembly elections were held now.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said the political situation in the state had created conditions for such a shift. His prediction was conditional on elections being held; the BJP statement did not identify the MLAs he was referring to.
Vijayendra also predicted that Congress would win fewer parliamentary seats under Rahul Gandhi in the next election. He claimed that voters had been misled into giving the UPA some seats in the previous election and said Congress had earlier won 50–60 parliamentary seats.
Criticism of CJI meeting request
Vijayendra criticised the Congress-led INDIA bloc’s request to meet Chief Justice of India Surya Kant over SIR. Arguing that the matter was already before the Supreme Court, he said seeking a meeting with the Chief Justice was inappropriate.
He alleged that Congress was attempting to create unrest in the country. He also claimed that Congress leaders had spoken of unrest in Karnataka resembling the youth-led turmoil in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Challenging Congress to win voters’ confidence and secure power through public support, Vijayendra said repeatedly making what he called false claims and creating confusion would not help the party.
Alleged stings and power struggle
Turning to the controversy over alleged sting operations, Vijayendra said Karnataka’s politics had fallen to a low level and that such developments would further damage public confidence in politicians.
He referred to allegations that people within Congress had carried out stings in pursuit of power, including ministerial and chief ministerial positions. He said MLAs, ministers and former chief ministers were discussing the issue repeatedly, predicted that more details would emerge and said those responsible for the alleged acts would face the consequences.
Questions over relief and state finances
Vijayendra alleged that the state was facing severe drought and that the government had announced ₹2,500 in compensation for farmers without disbursing the money. Comparing this with B.S. Yediyurappa’s tenure as chief minister, he said people who had lost their homes had received ₹5 lakh, with ₹10,000 provided for utensils.
He accused the government of bringing the sting controversy to the forefront to avoid responsibility for providing relief. Claiming that Karnataka’s finances had reached the brink of bankruptcy, he demanded that the government acknowledge the situation instead of blaming the Centre.
Vijayendra further alleged that transport buses were remaining in depots because dues to oil companies had not been paid. He also criticised proposals for ring roads in taluks, accusing the government of pursuing real-estate interests despite its financial difficulties.
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