Amid allegations of horse-trading by key political parties in Karnataka, the opposition JD(S) on Monday demanded dismissal of the Yeddyurappa government and urged secular parties, including Congress, to unitedly fight BJP's "operation lotus".
"I demand the dismissal of the Karnataka government. BJP's operation lotus is aimed at luring MLAs from secular parties using money power. I urge all secular parties including Congress to unite to fight this," JD(S) chief H.D. Deve Gowda told reporters here.
Describing the upcoming festive season as the "darkest Diwali in Karnataka's history," he said the horse-trading of MLAs and the multi-crore mining scam in Bellary were the reasons behind this.
"Earlier, such activity (MLAs being poached by rival parties), was called horse-trading. Now, its called operation lotus. This is a cancer to the society and I appeal to all secular parties to unite and not let it grow," he said.
Accusing the Karnataka BJP of indulging in double speak over the vexed issue of its rebel MLAs disqualified by Assembly Speaker K.G. Bopaiah, Deve Gowda said, on one hand the Speaker gave a statement that the legislators were disqualified under the provision of the anti-defection law.
"... On the same day, a Cabinet rank minister tells the national media in New Delhi that the letters of withdrawal of support given by the rebel MLAs was an internal matter of the party and it was a non-issue", the JD(S) chief said.
Citing the example of a "political crisis" similar to the one prevailing in Karnataka, he said, "During my tenure as Prime Minister, I dismissed the then Gujarat government because some BJP MLAs and ministers had defected from the party and formed a separate outfit."
Hitting out at the BJP in connection with the mining scam, he said, "This is another reason why Karnataka's Diwali will be one of the darkest ever. The government has done nothing to curb corruption in this area."
Twists and turns have been a daily affair in the Karnataka issue and the latest one was on Sunday when Congress MLA Malikayya Gutteda said he would resign.
Two Congress MLAs had put in their papers last week causing embarrassment to the party at a time when the BJP government was facing a crisis and had faced floor tests twice after 16 MLAs, including five independents, withdrew support to the first ever BJP government in the south.
One JD-S MLA had abstained during the trust vote and later quit the Assembly membership, bringing down the opposition strength to 98 — Congress 71 and JD-S 27 — in the 224-member House with BJP having 105 members, excluding the Speaker. 16 MLAs have been disqualified and the matter is now before the Karnataka high court.