After the JD(S), it is now the turn of the Congress to take its councillors to resorts “to prevent horse-trading” by the rival BJP. The party has decided to take its 76 councillors to resorts or hotels in the city ahead of elections to the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in BBMP on September 11, said Congress MLA S.T. Somashekar.
“BJP leaders are already making telephone calls to our councillors and offering crores of rupees to resign to make way for bypolls,” Mr. Somashekar, MLA, alleged. BJP leaders contacted Congress councillor R. Padmavathi Amarnath of Yelahanka, who defeated Vanishri Vishwanath, wife of S.R. Vishwanath, BJP MLA from Yelahanka constituency, he alleged. Ms. Padmavathi quit BJP a few years ago and joined Congress.
The MLA said councillors would be divided, parliamentary constituency-wise, and taken to different hotels in the city before the mayoral elections on September 11. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and State Congress president G. Parameshwara have also told city MLAs to execute the plan “to prevent horse-trading”, Mr. Somashekar said.
The JD(S) has already taken 14 of its councillors to a resort in Kerala.
‘BJP leaders are already making telephone calls to our councillors and offering crores of rupees to resign to make way for bypolls’
