Cong in Pondy announces protest against "horse trading" by BJP

The ruling Congress here announced that it would stage a protest on Sunday against the "nasty political game" of the BJP in Karnataka and Goa, where several party MLAs have resigned from the assembly. PWD Minister and PCC leader A Namassivayam alleged in a release Saturday that the BJP was indulging in a "nasty game" to "disturb" democracy.

The BJP was luring elected legislators from the Congress-JDS coalition in Karnataka, in a bid to "destabilise" the government there, he claimed. "The PCC would hold a demo in Puducherry Sunday to condemn the nasty political game of the BJP and workers would hold candle light vigil in protest against Operation Lotus and horse trading by the BJP in Karnataka and Goa, Namassivayam said.

Operation Kamala" (Operation Lotus) is a reference to BJP's successful attempt to engineer defection of opposition legislators to ensure the stability of the B S Yeddyurappa government in Karnataka in 2008. In Karnataka, 16 MLAs belonging to the Congress-JDS coalition have resigned form the state assembly, pushing the 13-month old government to the brink of collapse.

A group of ten Congress MLAs in Goa led by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar had on July 10 merged with the ruling BJP, increasing the saffron party's strength to 27 in the 40-seat house..

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