New Delhi [India], June 23 : Congress leader Tariq Anwar on Monday compared the prevailing political realignments to a "livestock market," alleging that the BJP is using power and financial influence to attract lawmakers in states where it does not have a popular mandate, after six Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MPs joined the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Speaking to ANI, Anwar said that if Uddhav Thackrey is able to convince the people that the ongoing "trend" of defections is actually a long-standing BJP-sponsored strategy to weaken the democracy of the country, then the trend may end.
"This trend has been going on for several years now. Markets for MLAs and MPs are being set up much like livestock markets; whoever has the power or money buys them up. The BJP is engaged in this activity right now, just as it was in the past. In several states where they lacked a popular mandate, they still formed governments through such horse-trading. If he (Uddhav Thackeray) succeeds in convincing the people that this is BJP-sponsored and aimed at weakening Maharashtra and the country's democracy, after all, if all opposition parties are bought out in this manner, what will be left of the opposition? Then it might work," he said.
The remarks came after six Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Lok Sabha MPs joined the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai today.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Jebi Mather also criticised the ruling NDA government, describing the ongoing political realignments as an "MP shopping festival" and alleging that the ruling coalition is prioritising the acquisition of lawmakers through methods she termed "blackmail" over the welfare of the citizenry.

"The BJP and the NDA government, instead of focusing on welfare or what matters to the people, are conducting an MP shopping festival. A shopping festival is going on; now, a monsoon session offer is also being run by the BJP. They are going to any length because they want to shop for MPs. They want to fill their bags with MPs, whether it is by blackmail, the agenda is very clear," she said.
She further added that the BJP's agenda of bringing the Delimitation Bill veiled under the Women's Reservation Bill failed, forcing the party to try bringing it up again by adding more Members of Parliament into the party.
"Their agenda is that they miserably failed to get delimitation under the garb of the Women's Reservation Bill passed during the budget session; they failed in that. Since their agenda failed, they are now trying to bring it in again by adding more MPs," he said.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) had nine MPs in the Lok Sabha. The Parliamentary Party meeting called by the party last week was attended by only three MPs. The party has already initiated disciplinary proceedings against the six 'rebel' MPs following their defection.