MYSURU/CHIKKAMAGALURU : Days after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the BJP-JDS combine of offering Rs 50 crore each to 50 Congress MLAs to destabilise the Congress government in the state, Mandya MLA Ravikumar Ganiga further alleged that the BJP offered Rs 100 crore each to Congress MLAs.
“BJP leaders contacted Chikkamagaluru MLA Thamanna and Kittur MLA Babu. We have information about meetings in hotels, guest houses, and airports. We have audio, video, CD, pen drive, and iCloud proof that will be released to the media soon,” he told reporters.
He claimed that Opposition leaders offered Rs 100 crore each, as the Congress legislators did not respond to the Rs 50-crore offer. He also accused the BJP of using funds that were looted in the previous government, to topple the present government.
He added that a few indulging in destabilising the government are demanding a probe, but those who attempted to lure the legislators are maintaining silence. “Our MLAs will not fall prey to the BJP‘s designs. We are united and the government is stable,” he claimed.
However, Congress MLA HD Thamanna rejected his party MLA’s claims by stating that nobody had contacted him. “Nobody has contacted me and I have no idea why Ganiga said it. You should ask him,” Thamanna told reporters in Chikkamagaluru, responding to Ganiga’s claims. Rubbishing it as a rumour, the MLA said he was with the BJP earlier, before the Assembly polls, and he has nothing to do with that party anymore.
Meanwhile, Kaduru Congress MLA KS Anand also clarified that none of the BJP leaders had contacted him offering money. “I grew up as a loyal Congressman, starting with the student wing of the party, NSUI, and hence, no BJP leaders have dared to call me,” he said.
Separately, Kittur MLA Babasaheb Patil claimed that while he had an offer from the BJP soon after the Congress formed the government last year, nobody so far offered him anything to join the BJP. “The BJP has been trying to rope in several legislators of our party for the last one year, but in vain. None of the Congress legislators will give in to the BJP’s pressure tactics. We firmly remain with our party,’’ he stated.