25 Congress MLAs, Including Ministers, Ready to Join BJP if Elections Are Announced: Vijayendra

BENGALURU, Oct 12 : Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Monday claimed that 20 to 25 Congress MLAs, including ministers, were ready to join the BJP if Assembly elections were announced, alleging growing discontent within the ruling party amid the controversy over alleged sting operations targeting ministers and bureaucrats.

Vijayendra maintained that the BJP was not attempting to poach Congress legislators but asserted that the political atmosphere within the ruling party was favourable for defections if elections were held immediately.

“If elections are announced tomorrow, 25 Congress MLAs, including ministers, will join the BJP,” he said.

He alleged that several Congress legislators had lost faith in their party's leadership, describing the reported discontent as an indication of deeper political instability within the ruling party. However, he did not name any of the legislators or ministers who he claimed were willing to switch sides, and his assertion could not be independently verified.

His remarks came amid a political controversy over alleged sting operations targeting ministers and bureaucrats in the Karnataka government. The episode has raised questions about whether the operations were intended to expose wrongdoing or were linked to internal power struggles within the Congress.

Vijayendra criticised the alleged use of sting operations for political purposes, claiming that the controversy had damaged the state's political atmosphere. He referred to allegations that the operations could be connected to attempts by certain leaders to secure ministerial positions or strengthen their claims to the Chief Minister's post.

He said the identities of those involved and the circumstances surrounding the alleged operations would emerge in due course. However, the allegations remain contested, and the identities, motives and authenticity of those involved have not been independently established.

Union Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy also criticised the state government over the controversy. He questioned why an investigation had not been ordered despite Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's claims about an alleged plot targeting five Cabinet ministers and bureaucrats.

Kumaraswamy demanded clarity on who was behind the alleged operations and why the matter had not been formally investigated.

Vijayendra also accused the Congress government of diverting public attention from governance issues. Raising the issue of drought relief, he alleged that farmers were yet to receive the promised compensation of Rs 2,500 and questioned the government's response to distress in drought-affected areas.

He further claimed that Karnataka's finances were under severe strain, alleging that pending dues to oil companies had affected the movement of state transport buses.

The BJP leader also criticised proposals for ring roads in taluks, alleging that the government was pursuing projects linked to real-estate interests despite the state's financial difficulties.

Predicting a poor performance by the Congress in future parliamentary elections under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, Vijayendra challenged the party to seek public support rather than rely on political allegations.

The BJP leader's remarks signal the party's attempt to use the sting-operation controversy to mount a broader political challenge to the Congress government, highlighting alleged factionalism, leadership tensions and governance concerns.

However, his claim that 20 to 25 Congress legislators, including ministers, would join the BJP remains unconfirmed. No list of prospective defectors or formal announcement of a mass defection was cited, while the Congress leadership's response to the specific claim was not immediately available.