Karnataka: Janata Dal (Secular) MLA from Mulbagal Assembly seat in Kolar district, Samruddhi Manjunath has alleged that they are being pressurised to join the Congress party.
Fueling rumours of 'Operation Hast' in the state, Manjunath said that there was a pressure on him and his party MLAs to join the Congress party. He was forced to go to New Delhi, but rejected the offer.
In view of the next year's Lok Sabha elections, Manjunath said that the high command wants to win alteast 20 Lok Sabha seats and therefore the Congress is attempting to pull leaders from other parties.
"I was abroad when I was invited to New Delhi for talks. I refused to take the offer. Congress leaders think they can pull MLAs from JD (S). I want to tell Congress leaders that in the coming days, all 19 MLAs from the JD(S) party will come together on a platform and hold a meeting to announce solidarity with the JD(S). No one will join Congress,” Manjunath said.
"All sitting and defeated MLAs, MLCs, MPs and leaders will go on tour for some time, to strategise for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. A befitting answer would be given for the rumours of JD(S) leaders quitting the party to join Congress. The circus is done by the state Congress leaders to win more than 20 seats in the parliamentary elections. I don’t know whether they were given a specific target or the high command had given a warning to them,” he reiterated.
"The people will write the fate of the political parties. They have given mandate in the Assembly elections and they will also give their verdict to elect the central government," Manjunath added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that several BJP and JD(S) leaders want to join the Congress.
In a statement, he said that any worker who agree with the leadership of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul are welcome in the party with their ideology.
With inputs from IANS
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