BJP denies ‘Rs 50 Lakh for 50 MLAs’ charge, wants Siddaramaiah and Congress to prove bribery allegations – Karnataka News

BJP Karnataka President BY Vijayendra challenged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to reveal the source and show proof of the allegations that the BJP is trying to do so. Bribe 50 Congress MLAs with Rs 50 crore each. Vijayendra accused the Chief Minister of undermining his own party by brushing aside false accusations, claiming that Siddaramaiah’s statements would lose credibility if he failed to produce evidence.

He also criticized the allegation as an insult to the democratic system, claiming that it portrayed MLAs as commodities for sale. Demanding that the Enforcement Directorate launch an investigation into the allegation, Vijayendra said, “This is nothing but a childish political statement.”

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s allegation that the BJP is trying to destabilize the state government has sparked a wave of reactions from both the Congress and the Opposition BJP.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai joined the chorus of BJP leaders who dismissed the allegation as a political tactic and accused Siddaramaiah of being helpless to retain power amid corruption scandals. “He is making false allegations to save his seat,” Bommai said and called on the Prime Minister to provide evidence of his allegations.

BJP MLA and Deputy Leader of Opposition Aravind Bellad also weighed in on the issue, labeling the charge as a deviation from the government’s failures. He emphasized that the Congress won office with 138 seats and should focus on governance instead of baseless political accusations. “We are not interested in their MLAs. Let them govern well and we will take on them in the next election,” Bellad said.

BJP leader and former minister CT Ravi dismissed the allegations as “fake” and accused the Congress of using lies as a political tool. Ravi sarcastically questioned the integrity of the Congress MLAs and asked if they were so weak that they could be easily bought off. Describing the allegations against the BJP as a political maneuver for gain, he demanded, “Show evidence of who is trying to buy whom.”

CONGRESS SUPPORTS SIDDARAMAIAH

On the other hand, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar supported Siddaramaiah’s claim. He stated that the BJP was indeed trying to lure the Congress MLAs with a bribe of Rs 50 crore each and cited reports from the MLAs themselves informing the Chief Minister about the alleged “Operation Lotus” orchestrated by the BJP. Strengthening the Congress party’s position, Shivakumar said, “Siddaramaiah’s statement is based on reliable information obtained from our own MLAs.”

Siddaramaiah reiterated his claim during an event in Mysuru and clarified that none of the Congress MLAs accepted the BJP’s offers. He also accused the BJP of filing fake cases against him in an attempt to oust him and destabilize his government.

Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar pointed out previous comments by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his son HD Kumaraswamy about similar attempts to kidnap MLAs. Sudhakar said, “BJP’s tactics to destabilize the government continue,” asserting that the party will respond decisively.

Home Minister G Parameshwara also reiterated his support to the Prime Minister, asserting that Siddaramaiah’s statements were backed by reliable information. He accused the BJP of trying to destabilize the democratically elected Congress government through backdoor tactics.