Congress’ Karnataka legislators brought to Lonavala

MUMBAI - All the Congress legislators in Karnataka were brought to a resort in Maharashtra’s Lonavala town Friday to prevent poaching by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ahead of the confidence vote by the B.S. Yeddyurappa government.

The 73-strong group of Congress legislators, accompanied by several party workers, came from Bangalore to Pune around 2 a.m. by a Jet Airways flight.

From the airport, they drove straight to Amby Valley, the luxury private city built by Sahara Group, around 20 km away on the outskirts of Lonavala hill-station.

Confirming the development, Karnataka Congress general secretary M. Ramchandrappa said all the legislators are “safe and fine”.

“We plan to stay here till Sunday night and expect to be present during the vote of confidence in the state legislature slated next Monday,” Ramachandrappa told IANS.

According to an official source, one of the legislators fell ill shortly after arrival and was being attended to by the Amby Valley medical staff.

Congress’ Maharashtra unit chief Manikrao Thakre denied knowledge of the developments.

The BJP-led Karnataka government is currently in a crisis mode after 19 of its legislators withdrew support. Fourteen of the dissenting legislators have camped in Goa where they are expected to remain till Sunday evening before returning to Bangalore.

The government, reduced to a minority, was asked to prove its majority on the floor of the house by Oct 12. Chief Minister Yeddyurappa said he would do it a day earlier.