CM change speculation: Pralhad Joshi alleges 'horse trading' within ruling Cong in Karnataka
Hubballi (Karnataka), Jul 13 (PTI): With a Congress MLA claiming that the BJP was planning to topple the government in Karnataka and has prepared a list to target 55 legislators through central agencies, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday hit back, alleging that "horse trading" was on in the ruling party itself, amid CM change speculation.
Congress MLA from Hungund Vijayanand Kashappanavar on Saturday accused that the BJP has prepared a list of 55 Congress MLAs to threaten them with ED or CBI raids, if they don't join the saffron party.
Reacting to Kashappanavar's claims, Joshi said, "Has he (Kashappanavar) done anything (wrong) to come on the ED list? Those who have done wrong will come under ED's notice, not others. Those who are correct need not worry and they won't face any trouble. This claim about 55 MLAs is a conspiracy to divert issues."
Speaking to reporters here, he claimed that CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar had begun horse trading within the Congress MLAs to garner support.
"Siddaramaiah had recently said that Shivakumar doesn't have the support of many MLAs, so both of them, to garner support on their respective sides, are using their money power. Both of them who are ready to buy MLAs are strong there (in Congress), so there is no chance for us (BJP) to enter and we don't want to indulge in such things," Joshi said.
Further noting that the BJP's official stand is not to go against the mandate of the people, the union minister said the Congress has to complete a full five years as they have the mandate, but as they are unable to do so because of internal rifts, they are making MLAs to issue statements about BJP targeting 55 of their legislators. There is no meaning to it."
Stating that the ground is ready for horse trading within the Congress, he said, "Horses are ready to get traded in the market there (in Congress). There is competition within to buy..."
The Congress has got a huge mandate and they have to run the administration properly. "Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have indulged in a trade to lure MLAs on their side. The Congress high command has lost control, so they have reached a situation where whoever has the support of maximum MLAs will be the CM. So both of them are involved in trading," Joshi said.
"It is they--D K Shivakumar and Siddarmamaiah--who are involved in horse trading, let them do it. We (BJP) are nowhere involved or related to it. False allegations are being made against us," he added.
There has been speculation within political circles, especially within the ruling Congress, for some time now about the chief minister change later this year, citing power-sharing agreement involving Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
However, Siddaramaiah has been asserting that he will complete a full five years term, even Shivakumar's supporters have said that their leader will become CM.
Pointing out that the BJP has never come to power directly in the state and that it had formed governments in the past by "purchasing" MLAs for money, Kashappanavar, speaking to reporters in Hungund on Saturday, said the saffron party always indulged in conspiracy to form a government.
The BJP was trying to topple the government. "You are seeing ED, CBI raids. Why are they happening? It is to fear our MLAs that, if they don't go to BJP, they will be raided. Such fear is there among all MLAs including me. Let them do anything, I'm ready for it," he said.
The BJP has prepared a list of 55 MLAs to threaten them with CBI raids, the Congress MLA alleged.
"The BJP agents have been sent to several (Congress) MLAs' houses already to threaten them that if they don't join their party, ED and CBI raids will be done against them, as there were illegal assets in their name. I won't fear such things," he added, citing recent raids on some Congress MLAs, and calling it "hate and conspiracy politics".
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Compromised PM didn't sign trade deal with US, but a bargain for Adani's release: Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of signing a trade deal with the US only to secure the "release" of billionaire businessman Gautam Adani.
"Compromised PM did not strike a trade deal, but a bargain for Adani's release," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X, after reports that the US has agreed to settle the lawsuit that accused Adani of hiding alleged bribery.
The US government has agreed to settle the lawsuit filed against Adani, who is accused of duping investors by concealing that his company's huge solar energy project in India was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme, according to court filings published Thursday.
Reacting to the reports, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said it was now clear why the PM agreed to the "hopelessly one-sided Indo-US trade deal that was really a steal by the US".
"And it is also clear why he abruptly halted Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025, acting on President Trump's threats rather than on our national interest. Reportedly, the Trump Administration is about to drop all charges of corruption against Modani," he said on X.
"How much more compromised can the PM get?" Ramesh asked.
In the lawsuit filed in late 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani, who is a director at the group's renewable energy unit Adani Green Energy Ltd, of agreeing to pay about USD 265 million in bribes to Indian government officials between approximately 2020 and 2024 to obtain lucrative solar energy supply contracts on terms that expected to yield USD 2 billion of profit over 20 years.
It was alleged in the lawsuit that Adani Group raised USD 2 billion in loans and bonds, including from US firms, on the backs of false and misleading statements related to the firm's anti-bribery practices and policies.
The ports-to-energy conglomerate had denied the allegations.
