By IANS
New Delhi : Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Monday commiserated with embarrassed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs in the Lok Sabha by patting them sympathetically after the party lost power within a week of forming a ministry in Karnataka.
Though the BJP put up a brave face in the house by raking up the Nandigram violence, their embarrassment over the Karnataka fiasco was apparent.
When the house was adjourned due to disruptions by the BJP-led opposition, Lalu Prasad went over to the BJP MPs, remarking in his characteristic style, “Karnataka gaya (Karnataka gone)”.
The railway minister, who came to the opposition side, was then seen talking to BJP deputy leader V.K. Malhotra and members like Harin Pathak and Kharabela Swain. He even patted Pathak on his shoulder.
The BJP leaders, who were excited over the party’s first state government in south India when B.S. Yeddyurappa was sworn in on Nov 12, were shocked by its ally Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) deciding to vote against it in the floor test scheduled to take place Monday. However, the chief minister submitted his resignation without facing the assembly.
The Karnataka fiasco and the BJP’s discomfiture were the topic of discussion in the parliament corridors Monday.
“Today’s disruptions in parliament by the BJP were to cover up their embarrassment in Karnataka,” said Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP Sitaram Yechury, referring to the repeated adjournments of both houses of parliament.
Some Congress MPs from Karnataka, who were standing in front of the party office in parliament, could not hide their happiness over the developments back home.
“We should thank god and our stars that we did not try to form the government with Deve Gowda (JD-S chief),” said one MP.