Is BJP the Congress' worry or has its lack of confidence dragged it down

Resort politics is not new to Karnataka that has witnessed 'operation lotus' earlier.

In a bid to keep its flock together ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress has flown down 44 MLAs from Gujarat. While the party has accused the BJP of trying to lure their legislators, does the herding of legislators indicates a lack of confidence on their own?

The Congress can't afford to lose any more legislators if it wants to elect Ahmed Patel to the Rajya Sabha. The party hopes that Karnataka, the strongest Congress bastion, for now, will serve as a safe house for MLAs from Gujarat. The legislators have been left at the care of Congress MP D K Suresh. In an all out attempt to elect Sonia Gandhi's aide to Rajya Sabha, the party has gone out risking its reputation to herd its legislators.

The rift in Gujarat Congress was out in the open when senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela lashed out at his party during his birthday celebrations. Serial resignations of party MLAs only added t the Congress' woes. In an election year, losing legislators has been the second drawback to the Congress that was already firefighting the rift within. In Karnataka, the Congress hopes to win back the confidence of its legislators and stop them from defecting.

Away from BJP, towards Tirupati

Karnataka Congress leaders claimed that legislators from Gujarat have arrived in Karnataka to visit the Tirupati temple. On Saturday, the legislators are expected to leave the luxury resort in Bidadi where they have been herded. Despite 44 MLAs flying down to Bengaluru, Congress is still short of numbers to elect Patel to the Rajya Sabha.

Karnataka is not new to resort politics. The infamous operation Kamala by the BJP had brought the political scenario in the state much disrepute. Only this time around, the politicians involved are not from the state.

Under Siddaramaiah's leadership, the Congress in Karnataka was able to thwart attempts at horse trading as recently as 2016 during the cabinet reshuffle. During the BBMP elections, JD(S) corporators were herded off to resorts in Kerala under the supervision of Congress MLAs to stop BJP from luring them. The BJP under the leadership of B S Yeddyurappa had successfully managed to gather support from the JD(S) to form a coalition government, all thanks to resort politics.

What really is the Congress' fear?

Congress in Gujarat is a broken house. Despite anti-incumbency against the BJP in Gujarat providing the Congress with an opportunity to oust the current government, inter squabble of the party, is snatching victory away from the Congress' hand. Senior leaders of the COngress have alleged that their legislators are being bribed up to Rs 10 crore or threatened with the police force to support the BJP.

While the picture being painted is that of BJP 'stealing their MLAs', the herding of MLAs points to a lack of confidence in the party on its own leaders. Does the Congress' jitter over BJP poaching their MLAs also point towards a sinking ship syndrome?

OneIndia News