Breaking silence after dramatic turn-of-events in Karnataka Assembly which saw BS Yeddyurappa resigning even before seeking a trust vote, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Monday tried to justify his party’s move in the state. His explanation, however, just ended up making their failed motive of horse-trading clearer.
Shah said the Congress and the JD(S) could not hold even a victory rally as people were for the formation of a BJP government in the state. “Congress kept its MLAs in five star hotels to ensure that they are not in touch with the voters in their constituencies. If these MLAs were free to talk to people, they would have known that the voters favoured a BJP government,” Shah said.
“The Congress has sold the entire stable while BJP is accused of buying and selling horses. If Congress and JD(S) would not have held its MLAs hostage, we would have formed the government in Karnataka,” Shah added.
Did Shah inadvertently accept that the BJP tried to poach Congress-JD(S) MLAs, but couldn’t?
Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma at a press conference at AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Monday questioning the import of Shah’s statement said, “What is the BJP preaching? BJP President Amit Shah, in his first press conference after the Karnataka elections, stated that MLAs were in the hotel; that is why nothing could happen. Is this his way of accepting that they were going to poach the Congress and JD(S) MLAs?”
People on the social media also reacted sharply to Shah’s claim of BJP being able to form the government had the Congress not holed up its MLAs in hotels. Some of the reactions are:
Honestly, I do not expect Mota Bhai to make these kind of stupid Amit Malviya level statements… Shows how rattled he is by the rising index of opposition unity. https://t.co/vKmRcX3U5O
— Truth hurts (@unknown_indian) May 21, 2018
A thief is saying, if people haven't locked their doors properly I would have been a millionaire by now.. https://t.co/ZBMAIbMayY
— Truth hurts (@unknown_indian) May 21, 2018
What he is exactly saying he is not finished his hunting…….and you congressmen wait and watch ……..a warning
— Interseller_21 (@amit_shaaa) May 21, 2018
यूपीएससी की अगर एग्ज़ाम न होती
तो आज मैं यूपीएससी टॉपर होती pic.twitter.com/elVcDR2bUu— Ravi Ratan (@scribe_it) May 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/Vishj05/status/998557315363155970
Agar 'Bal Narendra' ko kisi ne chai ☕️ bechne se na roka hota, to aaj main PM hota ~ L.K Advani pic.twitter.com/90i75TtKd2
— Akbar – اکبر (@Akbarnama) May 21, 2018
Shah played a pivotal role in managing the entire Karnataka election. According to reports, the Karnataka misfortune of the BJP is a huge “personal blow” for Shah. The press meet was an attempt to “pre-empt any murmurs against him within the party,”The Telegraph reported.