While the 17th Lok Sabha election results are all set to be announced on May 23, KC Venugopal claimed that several BJP MLAs would quit their party and join Congress.
Bengaluru: Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Monday reportedly claimed that the BJP legislators would join the Congress after the 17th Lok Sabha poll results are declared and dismissed speculation about the longevity of the coalition government in Karnataka.
He also exuded confidence about the formation of a Congress-led government at the Centre.
"We are very much confident that in the parliamentary election, there will be a government at the Centre under the leadership of the Indian National Congress (INC). The people of the country are now very much for a change, and that will happen on May 23," Venugopal said.
"Then how can they (BJP) destabilise the Karnataka government after May 23? We are not going to poach any MLAs from the BJP, but naturally, they will come to the Congress after May 23" he told reporters in Kalaburagi, Karnataka.
The statement by the AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka comes a day after Congress leader and minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan said that state BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa was "daydreaming" about coming to power and claimed that around ten saffron party MLAs were in touch with his party.
Reacting to Venugopal's comment, state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa denied the claims and said that the Congress MLAs, who are unhappy with HD Kumaraswamy's government, would quit the party.
"Nobody from the BJP will join any other party. After May 23, more than 20 Congress MLAs who are not happy with Kumaraswamy will not continue in the party," Yeddyurappa said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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