How BJP bought MLAs and used other tricks to topple elected governments

Hyderabad: Buy them straight, or sway them with offers or threats, the Bharatiya Janata Party has mastered the trick of making legislators switch loyalty before toppling democratically elected governments. In Telangana, however, the same trick sizzled out, with the legislators calling in the police and the BJP’s agents being arrested by the police. Here is […]

Hyderabad: Buy them straight, or sway them with offers or threats, the Bharatiya Janata Party has mastered the trick of making legislators switch loyalty before toppling democratically elected governments. In Telangana, however, the same trick sizzled out, with the legislators calling in the police and the BJP’s agents being arrested by the police. Here is a list, not in chronological order though, of how the saffron party has masterminded the fall of several governments across the country, with the Eknath Shinde operation being the latest.

• Congress-led government in Madhya Pradesh dethroned by engineering 22 MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia in March 2020

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• In Meghalaya, the BJP outwitted the Congress despite winning just two seats in the 60-member House in 2018; Congress got 21 seats while the National People’s Party (NPP), a BJP ally at the Centre as well as in Manipur, won 19 seats

• In Karnataka, Congress had won 78 seats and Janata Dal (Secular) 34. Though BJP’s numbers fell short of the halfway mark, BS Yediyurappa staked his claim to form the government; He was sworn in as CM but his government could not prove its majority and fell after three days. The Congress grabbed the opportunity and entered into a coalition with the JD(S) to stake claim to form the government. HD Kumaraswamy became the CM. The BJP began horse trading, made 16 rebel Congress and JD (S) MLAs resign. Yediyurappa returned to power in 2019

• The Congress emerged as single largest party in 2017 assembly elections in Goa, with 17 seats in 40-member assembly. It needed four more MLAs; The BJP finished second with 13 seats but still sealed the deal and Parrikar became CM

• The BJP won 21 seats in the 60-member Manipur assembly while the Congress won 28. After hectic negotiations, the BJP along with ally NPP’s four MLAs, five MLAs from regional parties and one Congress MLA, who defected to the BJP formed the government

• In June 2022, the BJP engineered defection through senior Shiv Sena senior leader Eknath Shinde and managed to topple Uddhav Thackeray government. The BJP managed to poach over 40 Shiv Sena and 10 Independent MLAs, to form government. There is allegation that each MLA was paid several crores to switch loyalty

• Aam Aadmi Party in August said the BJP approached four of its legislators in Delhi, asking them to switch sides and join the BJP, or else, face ‘false cases, the CBI and the ED’

• In Arunachal in 2014, Congress secured 42 seats in 60-member assembly; BJP had only 11. Congress ministry formed under Nabam Tuki; but in 2016, 41 Congress MLAs joined People’s Party of Arunachal and in the same year, switched loyalties to the BJP

• The Harish Rawat-led Congress government in Uttarakhand was brought down briefly in March 2016 after 9 MLAs switched sides to BJP. Though President’s rule was imposed, the Supreme Court intervened and reinstated the government

• In June 2018, the Jammu and Kashmir government of Mehbooba Mufti fell after the BJP, a coalition partner, pulled the plug on its alliance with her People’s Democratic Party