While Karnataka Congress leaders have been often called in to shield legislators from being poached by BJP, this time around, the Congress is being cautious about where to book the resorts. Sources indicate that Rajasthan is one state where the Congress leadership feels that the winning candidates can be taken to, given that the Congress is currently in power.

Meanwhile, all winning candidates have been asked to reach Bengaluru on Saturday, May 13, and have also been instructed to hold off on celebrating just yet. The Congress leadership held a meeting through video conferencing with all probable winners on Saturday afternoon to iron out the details. At this point, the candidates could be moved to a resort even if the Congress gets a simple majority on its own and can comfortably form the government, sources said.

BJP sources say that they are in touch with over 20 probable winners from Congress in case ‘Operation Kamala’, a term media coined for BJP’s poaching exercise, is needed. But an equal number of candidates from the BJP were in touch with Congress’s Siddaramaiah, Congress sources say. With a track record of legislators in the state frequently defecting for personal gains, all three parties are putting in measures to safeguard their winning candidates. 

Counting day for the Karnataka 2023 Assembly elections began Saturday morning with trends showing Congress leading in 130 constituencies. BJP is currently leading in 66, while the Janata Dal (Secular) holds 22 and others 2, according to the Election Commission as of 12.45 pm on Saturday