Does Congress think its ministers can be 'traded': BJP

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on 31 July lashed out at the Congress for accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of engineering horse-trading, asking if the Congress thinks so low of its cadres that they can be bought and sold.

Speaking to reporters here, Prasad said "The Congress has repeatedly been blaming BJP over the purchasing of their leaders in Gujarat which is ridiculous. I want to ask them that is Congress that low where the minister can be bought and sold. Will they fall for money? Is the Congress Party made up of these low Party members? I'm actually fed up with all these allegations that Congress has put on us".

Further slamming the Congress, Prasad stated that Congress is losing its political importance that's why they are upset and putting allegations.

"Even after leaving Gujarat, are the MLAs still scared and sitting in a room or are they roaming around? I have many questions for them and none have been answered yet. The fact is-Congress is losing its hold and political importance that's why they are upset," he said.

Earlier in the day, BJP state president Jitu Vaghani said that the grand old party has failed itself.

"Only to make one man win, the entire Congress is falling. There is no Congress leadership in the country now, as its own members do not trust their own candidates. They have failed themselves," Vaghani said.

He added that "even with the flood situation in the state, the Congress is playing politics."

Earlier on Sunday, the Congress accused the BJP of buying and threatening their MLAs in Gujarat for Rs. 15 crore and paraded its 44 MLAs who are camping in Bengaluru.

Addressing a press conference, senior Congress MLA from Gujarat Shaktisinh Gohil said, "Ask these MLAs the way they are threatened, they chose to stand by party even when offered Rs.15 crore."

"The BJP is hitting below the belt; we are fighting to protect the democracy. We have the required numbers. There is no need for us to stay here ( Bengaluru) for even a minute if they (BJP) say, they won't threaten.," he added.

The Congress had earlier said that the BJP is using "money, muscle and state power" to engineer defection, after at least six of its MLAs resigned to join the BJP.

In this backdrop, the Election Commission of India on Saturday sought an enquiry report from the Chief Secretary of Gujarat by Monday over the allegations made by the Congress. 

-ANI