KL-KARNATAKA-CONGRESS

Cong accuses BJP of horse trading to pull down coalition govt

Kochi, Jan 15 (PTI): Congress Tuesday came down heavily

on the BJP, accusing the saffron party of engaging in "horse

trading" to pull down the Congress-JD(S) coalition government

in Karnataka, but said nothing would happen to it.

AICC General Secretary Karnataka in-charge, K C Venugopal

alleged that the BJP had been making attempts to destabilise

the secular government headed by H D Kumaraswamy ever since it

came to power in the state seven months ago after the Assembly

polls.

"Our government will continue at any cost. It will

complete five years. Nothing will happen. Our MLAs are strong

and united," Venugopal said after holding a meeting with

Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru.

"This will be a big slap on the face of the BJP,"

Venugopal said.

Asked whether relations between the Congress and JD(S)

are strained, the Congress leader said: "We are very much

united."

Accusing BJP of trying to lure legislators offering huge

sums of money, he said: "The anti-democratic and unethical

practice of the BJP will be exposed soon".

He also accused media of "celebrating the unholy

horsetrading being carried out by the BJP" in the state.

In a jolt to the Kumaraswamy led Congress-JD(S)

government, two Independent MLAs Tuesday withdrew support to

the seven month old ministry amid turmoil triggered by charges

of horse trading flung at each other by the ruling coalition

and BJP.

In a significant turn to the political war that erupted on

Monday with both sides venting their fears of poaching, H

Nagesh (Independent) and R Shankar (KPJP) wrote to Governor

Vajubhai Vala, conveying their decision to withdraw their

support with immediate effect.