Plane that flew MLAs to Mumbai belongs to firm associated with BJP Rajya Sabha member
Bengaluru, Jul 8: The chartered plane in which 10 dissident MLAs of the Congress and the JD(S) flew from here to Mumbai belongs to a company associated with Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a Rajya Sabha member of the BJP, company sources said here.
The plane belongs to Jupiter Capital Private Limited. Chandrasekhar is the founder and chairman of the company.
Admitting that the aircraft that ferried the MLAs belonged to Jupiter Capital, the company officials clarified that they were running a business and whoever wanted to use the plane could do so.
"It is a charter operation and the aircraft is chartered regularly by various people," a top official of the company told PTI requesting anonymity.
The officials refused to divulge the information as to who had booked the flight and on whose behalf.
The Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of hatching a conspiracy to topple the party's coalition government with the Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka.
Former chief minister Siddaramaiah, former Union minister Mallikarjun Kharge and Karnataka Water Resource Minister D K Shivakumar reiterated their charge on Sunday that the saffron party was behind the current political turmoil in the southern state.
However, the BJP has been maintaining that it has nothing to do with it and the rebellion is a fallout of the squabbling between the two ruling coalition partners.
Congress spokesperson K E Radhakrishna told PTI, "It is obvious that their (BJP's) hand is very much behind (the attempt to topple the government). They cannot fool people. Central leaders of the BJP are involved in this. Their role is as clear as the sun."
He claimed that the chartered plane was kept ready at the HAL Airport here to fly the dissident legislators out as soon as they came out of the Raj Bhavan after meeting Governor Vajubhai Vala on Saturday.
Radhakrishna alleged that the conspiracy to bring down the government was planned a week earlier, when rebel JD(S) MLA A H Vishwanath went to Delhi and met BJP leaders there.
Vishwanath could not be contacted, despite repeated attempts.
The JD(S)-Congress government in Karnataka is facing a crisis after 12 MLAs of the alliance submitted their resignations to the state Assembly Speaker on Saturday.
The troubled ruling coalition, which has 118 MLAs in the 224-member Assembly, faces the risk of losing its majority in the House if the resignations are accepted.
Both the JD(S) and the Congress have been plagued by dissension over allocation of ministerial berths and distribution of Lok Sabha poll tickets. The cracks became deeper after the BJP swept the parliamentary election in the state.
Ten of the MLAs who resigned flew by the chartered plane to Mumbai on Saturday. They have been lodged at a hotel there.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
KKR defeat LSG via Super Over
Lucknow (PTI): Kolkata Knight Riders edged Lucknow Super Giants via Super Overs in a battle between two bottom-placed teams in the IPL, here on Sunday.
Chasing a modest 156, LSG suffered a batting collapse and managed to tie the contest and take it to Super Over with No. 9 Mohammed Shami striking a last-ball six against a wayward Kartik Tyagi, who leaked 16 runs in the final over.
But Sunil Narine bowled a stunning Super Over conceding just one run and taking two wickets to give KKR an easy target.
Rinku Singh then finished the chase with a boundary off first ball from Prince Yadav.
Earlier the KKR were in deep trouble with 93/7 in 15 overs but Rinku smashed a sensational 83 not out from 51 balls including four sixes in a row in the final over to lift them to 155/7.
Cameron Green (34) was the only other batter to reach double-digit scores as KKR suffered a familiar batting meltdown with Mohsin taking his maiden fifer.
In reply, LSG continued their dismal show with the bat to succumb to their fifth loss in a row.
Brief Scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders 155/7; 20 overs (Rinku Singh 83 not out, Cameron Green 34; Mohsin Khan 5/23). Lucknow Super Giants 155/8; 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 42). KKR won via Super Over.
