BJP Karnataka MLAs to spend weekend at resort

Bengaluru: BJP in Karnataka on Friday decided to move its MLAs to a resort near here amid fears of poaching bid by the ruling Congress-JDS combine after Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy announced he would seek a trust vote in the assembly despite the resignation by rebel legislators.

Every one (BJP MLAs) felt that they should be together and come together to the assembly on Monday… I have said okay, state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa told reporters in response to a question.

The MLAs were likely to stay put at a resort on the outskirts of the city, party sources said.

Resort politics is nothing new to Karnataka and during an earlier crisis faced by the ruling combine its MLAs were staying at a resort on the city outskirts.

The ruling coalition’s total strength is 116 (Congress-78, JD(S)-37 and BSP-1), besides the Speaker. With the support of the two independents, who on Monday resigned from the ministry, the BJP has 107 MLAs in the 224-member House, where the half-way mark is 113.

If the resignations of the 16 MLAs are accepted, the coalition’s tally will be reduced to 100.

To a question on Kumaraswamy’s surprise announcement and how prepared was the BJP to the trust vote, Yeddyurappa said they would decide their strategy on the basis of Kumaraswamy’s speech.

Amid the crisis triggered by the resignation of 16 Congress and JDS MLAs, Kumaraswamy in the assembly earlier on Friday said he would prove the majority of his government on the floor of the House and asked Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar to fix the time for it.