On Sunday, 13 January, Karnataka Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar said that the BJP's 'Operation Lotus' to topple the state's coalition government was for real and that three Congress MLAs were camping in a Mumbai hotel in the "company of some BJP leaders.”
“Horse-trading is going on in the state. Three of our MLAs are in Mumbai in a hotel with some BJP MLAs and leaders. We are aware of what has transpired there and how much has been offered to them,” he had said.
Shivakumar had also accused CM Kumaraswamy of being “lenient” towards the BJP.
"Our chief minister is a bit lenient towards the BJP. By 'lenient', I mean he is not exposing the facts he knows. All the MLAs have conveyed to the chief minister about the ongoing conspiracies. They have also told Siddaramaiah about it.”
Subsequently, Karnataka's ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition and Opposition BJP on Monday, 14 January, had traded allegations of making attempts to poach their respective MLAs in a fresh political war just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
While the Congress pointed out that five of its lawmakers were “missing”, the BJP flew its 104 MLAs to a resort in Gurugram. Karnataka BJP State Chief BS Yeddyurappa had also rubbished reports that his party was attempting 'Operation Lotus' to topple the state government.
