Karnataka gamble: Yeddyurappa calls back BJP MLAs camping in Gurgaon

Bengaluru: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka State President and former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa on Saturday called back all BJP MLAs camping in Gurgaon.

The BJP MLAs from Karnataka said they were in Gurgaon since Monday evening to devise strategies for the coming Lok Sabha polls, and not to avoid being "poached" by the ruling Congress-JDS alliance.

Earlier in the week, Yeddyurappa had alleged that Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy was indulging in horse-trading by offering money and ministerial posts to BJP MLAs.

"We are not indulging in any poaching. It is Chief Minister Kumaraswamy who is indulging in horse-trading. He himself is offering money and ministerial posts to our MLAs," he had said.

The charges of horse-trading were triggered after three Karnataka Congress MLAs visited Mumbai on Monday, reportedly along with some BJP MLAs. This was followed by the Congress' allegation that the BJP was trying to poach the ruling party's MLAs to destabilise the ruling coalition government in Karnataka.

Political turmoil intensified after two independent MLAs in the Karnataka Assembly - R Shankar and H Nagesh - withdrew their support from the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in the state on Tuesday.

The two MLAs had gone incommunicado two days ago before announcing their decision at a press conference in Mumbai.

In the 224-member Assembly, JD(S) has 37 MLAs and the Congress 80. The Congress-JD(S) alliance has the support of some Independents in the House where the majority figure is 113 stay in power.