BENGALURU: As electioneering in Bihar is gaining momentum, in Karnataka, the ruling Congress and Opposition BJP leaders are engaged in a war of words over raising funds for elections in other states.
BJP state president BY Vijayendra told media persons that there were several instances to show that the Congress government converted Karnataka into an ATM for elections in other states. Backing his brother and BJP MP BY Raghavendra’s allegations that Congress leaders in Karnataka were collecting funds for Bihar elections, Vijayendra said, “The ministers are asking for evidence (to back Raghavendra’s allegations). Have Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar forgotten the Valmiki Development Corporation scam?” he asked.
The BJP leader said in the Valmiki Development Corporation scam, the ED probe showed that funds were transferred to Telangana, and money was also used in the Lok Sabha elections. Allegations made against the Congress government by the Contractors Association and CM’s Economic Advisor Rayareddy are proof of rampant corruption in the government, the BJP leader said.
Earlier, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka had also alleged that the Congress government has turned Karnataka into an ATM for funding the party in the elections in other states.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, and other senior leaders, however, dismissed the BJP allegations. “I think Vijayendra and Raghavendra, other BJP leaders were in the practice of doing it, so they are recalling what they did,” the DCM said, responding to Vijayendra and his brother’s allegations.
Shivakumar asked the BJP leaders to show evidence to back their allegations. “They are afraid of our Congress party. I.N.D.I.A will come back to power in Bihar,” he said.
Ramalinga Reddy said the Congress government is giving Rs 52,000 crore to the people of the state, but when the BJP was in power in the state, they were sending money from Karnataka to other states. “Like them (BJP), we are not sending black money to other states. BJP leaders do not have any moral right to talk about Congress.” Reddy added that there was a video of senior BJP leaders BS Yediyurappa and Ananth Kumar talking about giving money to their party’s high command.
“BJP leaders who are accusing Congress of collecting money for Bihar polls must respond to it (the video),” he said, showing a video clip of a conversation between senior BJP leaders.