Will Cong-JD(S) MLAs stay at Kerala resort owned by Left MLA?

unique-protest-karnataka Congress workers hold placards and shout slogans against the ruling BJP and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest in Kolkata. They were protesting against the Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to invite the BJP leader B.S.Yeddyurappa to form the government and give the party 15 days to prove majority | AFP

Former minister and Kerala MLA Thomas Chandy on Thursday clarified that the newly-elected Congress and JD(S) legislators in Karnataka were travelling to stay at his resort Alappuzha. He said such reports are merely a “hoax”. Chandy is member of the NCP, which is coalition partner in the ruling Left front in the state.

"These are all hoax news. I also got calls from Kerala intelligence officials on the issue. I also heard from certain TV channels that Karnataka legislators are travelling to Alappuzha. I tell you, no such thing is going to happen," Chandy said, according to IANS.

After the Karnataka threw up a hung verdict, Kerala Tourism's official handle welcomed all MLAs from the neighbouring state to “unwind at the safe & beautiful resorts of God's Own Country” after the elections.

The tweet had gone viral, with twitterati lauding Kerala Tourism for its tongue-in-cheek humour, but was taken down later.

The tweet was an obvious reference to 'resort politics' by political parties, who have in the past herded their lawmakers to various posh resorts in the country to stop them from defecting during crisis situations.

Recently, the Congress party last year shifted 42 MLAs from Gujarat to a resort in Bengaluru to prevent them from shifting loyalties to the BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha poll.

In June 2016, Rajasthan BJP MLAs were holed away in a resort in Jaipur ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections.

The same month, the Congress in Karnataka whisked away nine independent MLAs to Mumbai, who were expected to back a Congress nominee in the Rajya Sabha polls.

(With agency inputs)

TAGS