Congress shepherds MLAs to 5-star resort amid charges of horse-trading

Bengaluru: As suspense over government formation in Karnataka continues, the Congress, worried about losing its lawmakers, has decided to move them to a five-star resort.

According to reports, Eagleton Golf Resort near Bengaluru will host the newly-elected MLAs of the Congress party.

In 2017, Congress’ Gujarat MLAs were in for a paid holiday at the same resort ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls in August. Around 40 lawmakers stayed at the resort for days guaranteeing their votes to Congress leader Ahmad Patel.

Reports on Wednesday morning said three Karnataka lawmakers went "incommunicado" and that an orange alert was sent out across the Congress-JD(S) combine, which has the brightest chance to form the government after Tuesday’s hung verdict.

When the meeting finally started, alarmingly for the party, at least a dozen lawmakers were missing, NDTV reported.

Also Read: Congress, JD(S) MLAs missing from meetings? Siddaramaiah says 'No!'

Karnataka witnessed a fractured mandate on Tuesday with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 104 seats. However, as the party short fall of the magic number of 112, the Congress, in an attempt, to seize the opportunity offered unconditional support to the JD(S). The party also agreed to accept Karnataka JD(S) chief H D Kumaraswamy as the chief minister.

Both the Congress and JD(S) have won 78 and 38 seats respectively.

The two parties are leaving no stone unturned to guard their MLAs as the BJP, they allege, is trying to poach its MLAs to get the eight more required to reach the 112 mark.

Soon after the Congress and JD(S) got together, rooms were booked at the resort. The legislators were to be shifted after today's meetings with Governor Vajubhai Vala, NDTV said quoting reports.