The BJP on Friday sought to downplay the Congress’ show of strength through a legislature party meeting, which saw only four abstentions, by arguing that numbers alone were not important.
“The number of MLAs who abstained from the CLP meeting is not important. What matters is the fact that there is a smoke of dissatisfaction in the Congress and there are clear indications of such a dissatisfaction snowballing in the coming days,” BJP State unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa maintained in a press statement.
Ridiculing CLP leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for issuing whip to Congress MLAs to attend the CLP meet, Mr. Yeddyurappa said this had only displayed the anxiety of the Congress.
Reminding Congress leaders that it was their responsibility to keep their flock together, he said the frustration of leaders of that party was showing.
“If your MLAs have a strong bonding with your party, then why have you warned of initiating disciplinary action against absentees?” he said.
Alleging “internal contradictions” in the JD(S)–Congress combine, he said their alliance was only a strategy to hoodwink people of the State.
Mr. Yeddyurappa took exception to allegations by the Congress that top BJP leaders were responsible for the problems within the party. “The house of the Congress is burning because of its own problems. How can we be responsible for it?” he sought to know.
