BENGALURU: Karnataka’s political circles are abuzz with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s allegation of the Rs 50-crore bribe offer by the BJP to Congress MLAs. Now, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has thrown his weight behind Siddaramaiah’s poaching accusation.
This shocking claim comes amid predictions from heavyweight leaders HD Deve Gowda and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy that the current government may not last beyond January. The question being raised is: Are these remarks mere political posturing or is there an orchestrated effort under way to bring down the Karnataka government?
The developments have an eerie resemblance to the high-stakes political drama of 2019, when Kumaraswamy’s coalition government teetered, and senior leaders openly foretold its fall. Political analysts warn that when veterans like Gowda and Kumaraswamy question a government’s longevity, it often precedes a big incident. Union Minister V Somanna also hinted at the state government’s future instability, raising suspicions of behind-the-scenes power play.
If there is truly a plot to topple the government, it’s bound to involve a good amount of money and influence. It is rumoured that as much as Rs 2,500 crore may be in circulation to sway lawmakers, cover covert logistics, and house MLAs in secret locations.
Fuelling the intrigue, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar recently revealed that business magnate Gautam Adani was present at a pivotal meeting before the Maharashtra government was overturned five years ago. Karnataka could well be on the brink of a similar upheaval, where crores of rupees can alter its political scenario.
A Congress leader pointed out, “BJP is capable of anything. We’ve seen what they did in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and other states.” In response, BJP state president BY Vijayendra shot back, “It seems you’ve lost faith in your own MLAs, and are making baseless claims of Rs 50-crore bribes. Such a statement demeans the democratic system.”
CongRESS leaders will never fall for BJP’s ‘50-crore offer’: Savadi
Stating that the leader of the Congress have dignity and self-respect, former deputy chief minister and Athani MLA Laxman Savadi on Friday claimed that MLAs of the Grand Old Party would never accept an offer of Rs 50 crore each to join the BJP. He was commenting on CMSiddaramaiah’s statement that the BJP was offering Rs 50 crore to each of the Congress MLAs in the state to jump ship to the saffron party. Speaking to the media in Kagwad, after meeting advocates who were protesting there, he added that the Congress MLAs could “never be bought by anyone, as they were all dedicated workers of the party”. Savadi further stated that the BJP leaders may be trying hard to rope in the Congress MLAs, but they would not succeed under any circumstances. The Congress leaders would not fall for such attempts, he added.
History of toppled governments
In the past decade alone, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh (2016), Manipur (2017), Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra (2019), and Madhya Pradesh (2020) saw upheavals and shifts in power. Prof Kiran Gajanur of the Central University of Karnataka, Kalaburagi, says, “In an era where the dismantling of legitimately elected governments through monetary power is becoming common, it’s essential for civil society to wake up and respond to these developments proactively.” With tensions rising, the question now is: will Karnataka see yet another chapter of political instability, and vast sums of money changing political fortunes?