Congress issues ultimatum to MLAs - 'Attend CLP meet or face expulsion'. Follow LIVE updates on Karnataka alliance trouble

Former chief minister of Karnataka and Congress leader Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday that the party would take action under anti-defection law against those MLAs who abstain themselves from attending the meeting of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Friday. He said that the MLAs skipping the CLP meet will face an expulsion from the party.

As the allegations and counter-allegations of poaching have cast their shadow on the state government led by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, the Congress has called a meeting of its legislators here on January 18 to take stock of the prevailing political situation.

The decision to hold the meeting of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) was taken after the party leaders alleged that three of their MLAs were taken to Mumbai by the BJP in an attempt to lure them to their fold.

However, the BJP has dismissed the Congress allegations, claiming that the ruling party was making attempts to poach their MLAs. BJP has parked its 104 party MLAs at a hotel in Gurugram in Haryana. In the 224-member Assembly, JDS has 37 MLAs and the Congress 80. The Congress-JDS alliance has the support of some Independents in the House where the majority figure is 113 stay in power.

Reacting to the political turmoil in Karnataka wherein the fate of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in the state seeming to be hanging in balance, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday had reaffirmed that things in the party were intact and is going strong. 

The drama over allegations of horse-trading have begun on Friday from both sides with the BJP and the Congress-JD(S) coalition in the state making those allegations against each other.

Allegations and counter-allegations have begun from both JD(S)-Congress coalition and the BJP camps with senior leaders making the direct attack on the rival parties.

Karnataka CM and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy: "I want to ask Yeddyurappa, I was with my family for three days, but BJP made a big issue out of it. They told that people are angry I was questioned then. Now I want to question the BJP, now BJP MLAS are in Delhi. I have learnt that their phones have been snatched, are they discussing Karnataka drought in Delhi? Is the drought over now, when I took an off for two days it was an issue, but you have been in Delhi for week. is that ok? What about the money that was spent on you? But you question JDS and Congress MLAs? You have levelled baseless charges. We did not take any MLAs to resort. BJP is doing it, but we are being blamed. People will answer the BJP. We did not take any MLAs to resort. BJP is doing it, but we are being blamed. The people will answer the BJP. Why did Yeddyurappa tell several lies, I don't know why he did."

Congress' leader Yeddyurappa: "I am not responsible for their MLA's going here and there. They are trying their level best to take BJP MLAs in their party. We have our MLAs. I don't have any knowledge where the MLA's are whether they are in Bombay or any other place."

Congress workers are protesting outside former Karnataka CM and BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa's house in Shimoga district of Karnataka