Karnataka Assembly Polls: War of words between BJP and Congress before seat allotment

Bengaluru: Hitting back at the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for accusing him of making phone calls to BJP MLAs and offering them tickets for the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka, state Congress president D K Shivakumar on Thursday said CM had no morality to speak, as he was running a "coalition government" with the support of defected Congress-JD(S) MLAs.

Charging the ruling BJP with rampant corruption, he said, even "ganjala and sagani'' (cow urine and dung considered auspicious and used for purification in religious ceremonies) could not wipe away its government's misdeeds.

"The Chief Minister is saying that I'm contacting BJP MLAs. Didn't you (CM/BJP) knock on the doors of 13 of our (Congress MLAs), three from JD(S) and two independents, and take them along with you and form the government? What morality do you have?" Shivakumar questioned Bommai.

He addressed the Bommai government, saying, "By taking away MLAs who had won on Congress tickets under 'Operation Lotus', you enjoyed power all these days.

"What morality do you have? Despite people not giving you 112 seats (majority in 2018 polls) you formed an immoral government with the help of those MLAs. You have till today run a coalition government with the support of (defected) JD(S), Congress and BJP MLAs. Yours is a coalition government, which has turned out to be a curse on the state," Shivakumar said.

Bommai had earlier charged Shivakumar with making phone calls to BJP MLAs and offering them tickets in constituencies, where the party was yet to announce its candidates for the Assembly polls.

"KPCC president D K Shivakumar since the last two to three days has been making phone calls to our MLAs, in 100 constituencies where they are yet to announce tickets. He is stating that if you (BJP MLAs) come (to Congress) we will give you the ticket," the CM had alleged.

Shivakumar said, "Your (BJP) leaders are trying to purify (your government's misdeeds) by using 'ganjala' and 'sagani', but how much ever ganjala and sagani you use, no one can change what you have done, people will decide.".

Shivakumar said in January too that his party would come to power and purify the 'Vidhana Soudha' (the seat of state legislature) with cow urine, alleging that it was polluted by corruption during BJP rule.

He also said that if the code of conduct had come into place earlier it would have been good, as official machinery had been misused and there was rampant corruption. He said he would reveal details about it in the coming days.

Inputs from PTI