K'taka: Cong MLAs meet BJP leader at residence

Congress MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi and Dr Sudhakar clarified that they visited BJP leader R Ashok at veteran leader SM Krishna's residence to greet him for the success of BJP in the recently-held polls, adding that there was "nothing political" about the meeting. The BJP won 25 of the 28 seats at stake in Karnataka, while Congress and JD(S) managed to bag just one seat each.

Bengaluru (Karnataka): With BJP making electoral inroads in Karnataka following the Lok Sabha polls, Congress MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi and Dr Sudhakar met BJP leader R Ashok at veteran leader SM Krishna's residence here on Sunday.

However, the MLAs clarified that they visited Krishna's residence to greet him for the success of BJP in the recently-held polls, adding that there was "nothing political" about the meeting.

"It was not a political meet. We are Congress MLAs and we just wanted to wish SM Krishna after BJP won more than 25 seats in Karnataka. I was an MLA even when he was chief minister of the state from 1999 to 2004. That is why we met him. It was just a courtesy call," Jarkiholi told media.

Dr Sudhakar added, "We had nothing to discuss, we just wanted to wish him. He is a senior leader and he was a former Congress leader that's why we felt that we must wish him for his party's success."

Meanwhile, Ashok said that he visited Krishna at the latter's residence to discuss party-related matters.

"I have no friendship with Congress leaders Ramesh and Dr Sudhakar," he clarified.

The BJP won 25 of the 28 seats at stake in Karnataka, while Congress and JD(S) managed to bag just one seat each.

BJP is the single largest party with 105 members in the 225 member assembly, while the ruling coalition has 117 members with 79 legislators from Congress, 37 from JD(S) and 1 from BSP.