The Congress on Thursday afternoon alleged that two newly elected MLAs of the party in Karnataka, who are missing, may side with the BJP to boost the numbers of the government of B.S. Yeddyurappa.
Interestingly, the two MLAs—Anand Singh, who won from Vijayanagara and Pratap Gowda Patil, who won from Maski—were members of the BJP before they joined the grand old party.
Congress MP D.K. Suresh alleged on Thursday that Singh was in the “clutches” of Prime Minister Modi. Singh, a mining baron, had reportedly said he feared the Central government may use the Enforcement Directorate to file cases against him. Singh had won from Vijayanagara in 2008 and 2013 as a BJP candidate and was the tourism minister in the previous BJP government.
Considered one of the richest politicians in Karnataka, Singh faces a slew of cases related to illegal mining and criminal intimidation. He joined the Congress only in January this year and his rival, not surprisingly, was a Congressman who crossed over to the BJP! Media reports claim Singh may have gone to Gujarat.
If Singh is among the richest politicians in the state, Patil was the 'poorest' to contest the 2013 Assembly elections. Patil declared he had assets worth Rs 40 lakh in 2013. Patil had won the 2008 election from Maski on a BJP ticket, but crossed over to the Congress in 2013. According to media reports, Patil was seen leaving leaving Bengaluru early on Thursday on a private jet.
The Congress would be worried if both leaders cross over to the BJP as the effective strength of the Assembly would come down if the duo resigns, which would make it easier for the saffron party to win a floor test, assuming more Congress-JD(S) legislators abstain or resign.
(With agency inputs)