VIJAYAWADA: Stung by defection of six legislators from his party to ruling TDP, YSR Congress President Y S Jaganmohan Reddy today claimed that the leaders were offered "Rs 20 crore-Rs 30 crore each" to switch sides.
Reddy launched a scathing attack on Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and accused him of "alluring and purchasing" some of his party MLAs and taking them into the ruling party fold.
He dared Naidu to make the defected legislators to resign from their posts and seek a fresh mandate.
"If you have any shame and guts, make the defected legislators to quit from their posts and face by-elections. Let's then see who really enjoys people's support," Jagan said in his native Kadapa in the backdrop of defection of five YSRC MLAs and one MLC into the TDP in the last four days. "The MLAs were offered Rs 20 crore, Rs 30 crore each. Besides, mining leases, contracts and Cabinet berths were promised. But it doesn't make any difference to us even if four or five legislators jumped sides," Jagan said.
"Corruption, corruption, corruption everywhere. Be it Pattiseema, Polavaram, Galeru-Nagari (all irrigation projects) ...there is corruption everywhere. The same money is being used to purchase MLAs," Jagan alleged.
"This is nothing new to Chandrababu. He did the same with MLAs of NTR (in 1995) and became Chief Minister through the backdoor," the YSRC leader said.