Congress to petition Governor on cabinet expansion

Bangalore, Jul 10 (UNI) The opposition Congress in Karnataka has decided to petition Governor Rameshwar Thakur against the ruling BJP luring opposition party legislators and accommodating them in the cabinet, Pradesh Congress Committee President Mallikarjun Kharge said today.

Mr Kharge, who is also Opposition leader in the Legislative Assembly, told newsmen after chairing an emergent meeting of the CLP, that BJP has adopted 'undemocratic' ways to entice opposition party legislators.

He said according to reports Chief Minister Yeddyurappa was including three ''turn-coat'' legislators in his cabinet. The Congress would lodge a petition against the BJP move with Governor Rameshwar Thakur.

Charging that BJP in Karantaka had employed 'undemocratic' ways to coerce the opposition legislators to resign their seats to the Assembly and was manipulating majority in the assembly in its (BJP) favour.

Mr Kharge said the Congress has decided to hold protest rallies particularly in those constituencies from where the party legislators resigned and joined BJP and expose their 'selfish' ends.

He said the party would send a study team to select the party candidate to fight the 'bye-elections' caused due to resignation of party legislators. ''The voters of the constituency would teach a bitter lesson to the defectors,'' he charged.

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