They can keep dreaming: Kharge on BJP's bid to form govt in Karnataka

Kalalburgi, May 21: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday rejected speculation of BJP forming a government in Karnataka.

The senior Congress leaders also snubbed claims made by BJP state chief Yeddyurappa, that over 20 MLAs will leave Congress after Lok Sabha poll results.

"They always keep dreaming. They were given a chance to form the government (in Karnataka). They were given a chance to prove majority on the floor which they could not do," Kharge told ANI here.

Yeddyurappa last week claimed that more than 20 "unhappy" Congress legislators will desert the grand old party after the declaration of general election results.

Earlier, Congress leader KC Venugopal had also claimed that many BJP MLAs will join his party after May 23.

Amid the widening rift between the Congress-JD(S) alliance and ongoing mudslinging between coalition leaders, Kharge said that there was no danger to the Karnataka government and asserted the unity of the ruling alliance.

Kharge said, "First no one wants to go to polls and, second, the alliance is united."

Contrary to Kharge's claims, state Congress leader Roshan Baig blamed his colleague KC Venugopal for the "collapse" of the coalition, calling the latter a "buffoon".

He also alleged that portfolios of the state government were "sold".

Baig, who is at loggerheads with the Congress party after not getting a ticket to contest the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, said that state president Dinesh Gundurao and Siddaramaiah should be held responsible if Congress doesn't perform well in the general elections.

Deputy CM G Parmeshwara hit back at Baig and said that it was his personal opinion.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has already warned states leader not make statements against the coalition.

In February, Congress alleged that Yeddyurappa had offered around Rs 200 crore to 18 of its MLAs in an attempt to destabilise the ruling coalition government.

In the 224-member state Assembly, JD(S) has 37 MLAs and its coalition partner has 80. It has the support of some Independents in the House where the majority figure is 113. The Bharatiya Janata Party' number in the Assembly stands at 104.