K’taka MLC polls: BJP’s Suresh Kumar urges political parties to end ‘resort culture’
Bengaluru: As the election to seven Karnataka Legislative Council seats was underway on Thursday, BJP leader S. Suresh Kumar urged political parties to end the ‘culture’ of sending MLAs to resorts, highlighting that it sends a wrong message to the voters.
His reaction came after Congress, amid fears of cross-voting, shifted all its MLAs to a resort in Bidadi, where training sessions and mock voting exercises are being conducted to ensure that every vote is cast correctly.
Speaking to IANS, Suresh Kumar said the BJP is confident that its two candidates will win the election and enter the Upper House of the Karnataka Assembly. “I am also confident that the third NDA candidate, Janata Dal(S), will clear the test as well,” he said.
However, the BJP leader said: “Cutting across party lines, I am seriously concerned about the practice of keeping MLAs in resorts. This culture should come to an end. All political parties should have trust in their MLAs. Having no trust and thinking that our MLAs are purchasable or can be hijacked sends a very wrong message to the voters in the country.”
He further said: “In the coming days, they may start ‘hoarding’ the voters also to resorts before the general elections.”
“Every political party should discuss and come to a decision to put an end to this resort culture,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, targeting Congress, Suresh Kumar said: “They appear uncertain about the loyalty of some of their own MLAs due to the shift in power dynamics, the delay in cabinet expansion, and the exclusion of several important leaders. I believe there is a genuine apprehension and serious concern within the party regarding the loyalty of its MLAs.”
Echoing a similar view, BJP leader Y. Bharath Shetty said: “The Congress has resorted to resort politics. It appears that there are several factions within the Congress itself.”
“There is the Siddaramaiah faction, the D.K. Shivakumar faction, and, as some are saying, even the (Mallikarjun) Kharge faction. So, there is a possibility of some cross-voting as well. There is dissent within the Congress itself,” he added.