A turbulent week in Karnataka politics -- featuring charges of MLA poaching, loss of legislator support for government and, believe it or not, cricket -- enters Day Five today. Karnataka is governed by a coalition between the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress. In opposition is the BJP -- the single largest party in the state election held last May.
This week's drama began when DK Shivakumar, a Congress minister, levelled accusations of horsetrading against the BJP, and alleged that three of his party's MLAs were in a Mumbai hotel in the "company of some BJP leaders". It turned out there were four MLAs in the hotel -- all Congressmen, all disgruntled.
One of them has returned to Bengaluru, Karnataka's capital. According to party sources, the remaining trio have said they will too. A Congress legislature party meeting is scheduled to take place today in Bengaluru. Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao said all MLAs have said they would attend the meet, and that strict action would be taken if they didn't.
Two independents have withdrawn support for Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's government -- but it still has the numbers it needs. Both the ruling alliance and the BJP have accused each other of trying to poach MLAs.