Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has claimed that Opposition BJP was continuing its Operation Lotus to topple the JDS-Congress government. Accusing BJP and its state president BS Yeddyurappa of offering a ‘gift’ to a legislator, he said the MLA informed him that he had rejected the gift.
“Operation Lotus is on. Yesterday night also they have telephoned a Congress legislator, asking him- where to send the gift, Kumaraswamy told reporters here. The Chief Minister’s allegation comes days after Yeddyurappa claimed that the BJP would not destabilise the ruling coalition.
Four Congress MLAs had skipped a crucial legislature party meeting on January 18, indicating all was not well within the party. Operation Lotus refers to the BJP allegedly luring several Opposition MLAs to resign their assembly membership and defect and win the election on the saffron party ticket later in 2008.