BANGALORE: Janata Dal (S) state president H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday released a CD which purportedly contained a conversation between Tumkur rural BJP MLA Suresh Gowda and Gubbi JD(S) MLA K R Srinivas where the former is said to have offered the latter money in order to switch over to the BJP.
“The BJP in Karnataka stands fully exposed with the release of the CD. If Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has any shame, he should immediately resign. This is the height of horse-trading by the BJP which is taking politics to a new low,” Kumaraswamy told reporters.
Srinivas was also present at the press conference. In the CD that was played, Gowda is seen asking Srinivas to quit JD(S) and join BJP.
“Tell me what you want,” Suresh asks Srinivas to which the latter says, “You tell me. If I asked `100 crore, will you give me? If it is 25 (`25 crore), then I can consider it.” Srinivas earlier says he was told by Varthur Prakash (independent MLA who joined the BJP) about the BJP having offered `40 crore or `50 crore besides a promise of a berth in the Cabinet.
“I can get you `15 crore,” Gowda says, for which Srinivas says, “`15 crore? If it is `25 crore, then I will consider.” Gowda refers the name of Home Minister R Ashok by saying that if it is `25 crore, then he will talk to “Samrat” and get back to him. “Why don’t you come to Bangalore,” Gowda asks.
Srinivas says, “I do not want to do business in unfamiliar cities. Come to my house or let’s go to my sisterin- law’s house.” Earlier, the BJP had released a CD which purportedly contained the voice of Kumaraswamy speaking to Somwarpet BJP MLA Appacchu Ranjan asking him to abstain from the vote of confidence.
Lashing out at the BJP and Yeddyurappa, Kumaraswamy said he will hand over the CD to the Governor on Friday and demand his intervention to stop “trading of MLAs by the ruling party’’.