Karnataka MLA row: After Yeddyurappa's allegations, HD Kumaraswamy says 'everything is under control', Congress-JD(S) ties 'strong'

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday refuted BJP Karnataka unit chief BS Yeddyurappa’s claim that Kumaraswamy was indulging in "horse-trading" , saying that any accusations of poaching are untrue and being made up by the saffron party. [caption id=“attachment_5051471” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of HD Kumaraswamy. PTI[/caption] Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy said that the Congress-JD(S) ties were “strong” and the parties will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha election together. On Wednesday, the chief minister made similar statement : “MLAs (Congress MLAs in Mumbai hotel) are unreachable to the media, not to me. I am in touch with everybody and I am speaking to everybody, they will come back. Our coalition is going on smoothly. I was relaxed and I am relaxed. Don’t worry, be happy.” Clarifying that his party MLAs were not being shifted to any resort, as being speculated in the media, the chief minister had said, “We are not going to shift anyone to any resort, there is no need for it.” “So I request media not to fool itself and the people of the state,” he had said. The charges of horse-trading were triggered after three Karnataka Congress MLAs  visited Mumbai earlier on Monday , reportedly along with some BJP MLAs. This was followed by the Congress’ allegation that the BJP was trying to poach the ruling party’s MLAs to destabilise the JDS-Congress alliance government in Karnataka. Yeddyurappa refuted these charges, saying that the BJP had nothing to do with the three Congress lawmakers’ Mumbai visit, and accused the Congress-JDS alliance of making a poaching bid. “We are not  indulging in any poaching . It is chief minister Kumaraswamy who is indulging in horse-trading. He himself is offering money and ministerial posts to our MLAs,” Yeddyurappa said. There is also speculation that about five to eight Congress MLAs are ready to jump ship to the BJP side. However, the Congress has dismissed reports that some of its MLAs may quit, saying they are “intact”. With inputs from agencies