UPA's Survival On 22nd July? And Aftermath -2

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‘BJP reaped what it sowed’</b>

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: The BJP got a taste of its own medicine when some of its MPs defied the party whip and voted for the UPA Government on Tuesday, Congress leader M. Mallikarjun Kharge has said.Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, Mr. Kharge said the “BJP had poached MLAs from the Congress in Karnataka when it already enjoyed majority in the Assembly. But in Parliament the BJP MPs made a conscientious decision in the national interest and they were not coerced. The BJP had reaped in Delhi what it had sown in Karnataka.”

Asked if the Congress would take these BJP MPs into its fold, Mr. Kharge said that only the party high command could decide on it.

On the power crisis in Karnataka, the Congress leader said the State Government had showed no interest to “scout” for power in the country and instead it was resorting to unscheduled loadshedding.

The rural areas were experiencing 10 hours of loadshedding, while in urban areas it was eight hours, he said.

Mr. Kharge said the State was facing an “unmanageable power crisis”, but the BJP had promised free power to the farmers to get their votes. He said the various sectors were going to suffer because of this.

He said central Karnataka was already reeling under a severe drought and urged the Government to immediately take steps to alleviate the sufferings of the people.