Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar from the Congress said the government was stable. "It will run for full five years under the leadership of CM HD Kumaraswamy. But another MLA Zameer Ahmed of the Congress admitted, "Around five MLAs of our party are in Mumbai. We will not sit silently if attempts of poaching are made, even we are in touch with some BJP MLAs. We had talked with 2-3 of our MLAs while other MLAs' phones are off. I can assure you no one will leave."


Meanwhile, BJP MLAs from Karnataka who have camped themselves in Gurugram on Monday evening said that they had assembled to strategise for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and had not run away fearing poaching by the ruling Congress-JDS alliance.


Speaking to ANI, Shashikala Jolle, an MLA from Nippani constituency, said: "There are 104 BJP MLAs and we are together. We have been called here to strategise for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. There are no talks of forming the government. If there is anything, our leaders will tell you."


Another BJP lawmaker Poornima Srinivas said that the BJP does not need to disrupt the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance government, claiming there are internal rifts among their ranks and they will fall out soon.


"JD(S) and Congress both lacked the number to form the government. So they formed an alliance. Now, there are fights between them. There is no need for us to ensure a premature end for their reign," the MLA from Hiriyur constituency said.


The charges of horse-trading were triggered after three Karnataka Congress MLAs visited Mumbai earlier on Monday, reportedly along with some BJP MLAs. This was followed by the Congress alleging that the BJP was trying to poach the ruling party's MLAs to destabilise the JDS-Congress alliance government in Karnataka.


However, Karnataka BJP unit chief BS Yeddyurappa refuted those charges, saying that his party had nothing to do with the three Congress lawmakers' Mumbai visit, and accused the Congress-JDS alliance of poaching bid.


Later in the day, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy accused Yeddyurappa of fabricating stories, adding that there is no need for the Congress-JDS alliance to poach on any party's lawmakers.


Image: BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa and other Karnataka BJP MLAs at a hotel in Gurugram. Pic: ANI