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MLAs NOT staying against their will at resort: Cong on Gujarat crisis
July 31, 2017
In the wake of Congress party moving 44 of its MLAs to Bengaluru to
stop more of them from switching over to the BJP, the former on Monday said that their party representatives are
willing to stay.
Congress MP D K Suresh told ANI, "MLAs are not
staying against their will. They are freely moving inside and outside
the resort. We aren't objecting to anyone".
Earlier in the day, BJP state president Jitu Vaghani said that the grand old party has failed itself.
"Only
to make one man win, the entire Congress is falling. There is no
Congress leadership in the country now, as its own members do not trust
their own candidates. They have failed themselves," Vaghani said.
He added that "even with the flood situation in the state, the Congress is playing politics."
Earlier
on Sunday, the Congress accused the BJP of buying and threatening their
MLAs in Gujarat for Rs. 15 crore and paraded its 44 MLAs who are
camping in Bengaluru.
Addressing a press conference, senior
Congress MLA from Gujarat Shaktisinh Gohil said, "Ask these MLAs the way
they are threatened, they chose to stand by party even when offered
Rs.15 crore."
"The BJP is hitting below the belt; we are fighting
to protect the democracy. We have the required numbers. There is no
need for us to stay here (Bengaluru) for even a minute if they (BJP)
say, they won't threaten.," he added.
The Congress had earlier
said that the BJP is using "money, muscle and state power" to engineer
defection, after at least six of its MLAs resigned to join the BJP.
In
this backdrop, the Election Commission of India on Saturday sought an
enquiry report from the Chief Secretary of Gujarat by Monday over the
allegations made by the Congress.
Image: Karnataka Power Minister D K Shivakumar with Gujarat Congress MLAs arrive for a press conference at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Sunday. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo
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