BJP Says 25 Congress MLAs Ready to Switch; Shivakumar: 'Induct Them Now'

Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra said on Monday that 25 Congress legislators, including ministers in the state Cabinet, would join the BJP if an election were held now. The party has not released names or any evidence to support the figure.

His remark drew a sharp response from Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who challenged the BJP to act on its own claim. "First ask him to induct them into his party. Let him not delay it," he told reporters.

Mr Vijayendra was replying to a question on whether the BJP was trying to draw ministers away from the ruling Congress. He said the political mood in the state had shifted in his party's favour and that many Congress leaders were ready to change sides. "We have no such necessity (to poach), but I would say one thing clearly as the party's state president: even if elections are announced tomorrow, 25 legislators, including ministers in the state Cabinet, would join the BJP. Such an atmosphere has already been created," he said.

Mr Shivakumar also referred to the cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha elections, which both the BJP and the JD(S) have spoken about. "Both Kumaraswamy and Vijayendra couldn't tell who cross-voted. Their leaders cross-voted for Congress. What more do they need? Let him (Vijayendra) not waste time and induct leaders into the party," he said.

Asked about allegations of a sting operation, Mr Vijayendra said Karnataka politics had never fallen to such a level and claimed that recent developments were eroding public respect for politicians. He said reports had emerged that some Congress leaders had resorted to such tactics to gain political power. "Everything will come out in the coming days. This is political immorality. Those who have indulged in such wrongful activities will face the consequences," he added.

The matter came into public focus last week after Mr Shivakumar reportedly warned his Cabinet colleagues about attempts to trap them through sting operations. He later said he knew exactly who was behind the attempts against him and his ministerial colleagues, and who was financing private agents for the purpose.

JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy also asked on Monday why the state government had not ordered an investigation into the alleged sting operation, and why the administration was waiting for "time to answer" rather than taking action. Mr Shivakumar had said on Sunday that "time will answer" when asked about the allegations.

Karnataka has a 224-member Legislative Assembly, where the Congress holds a comfortable majority. The state's next Assembly election is due in 2028. Claims about legislators changing sides are common in Indian politics, and no evidence has been made public so far to support the number of 25 MLAs cited by the BJP. Neither party has released a list of the legislators it says are ready to switch.

Under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, commonly known as the anti-defection law, a legislator can be disqualified for voluntarily giving up membership of his or her party. The only exemption applies when at least two-thirds of a legislature party agrees to a merger with another party, a provision retained after the 91st Constitutional Amendment in 2003. A legislator who changes sides individually therefore risks losing the Assembly seat.

Both the claim and the counter-claim remain unverified. Readers should treat them as political statements rather than established facts.