DAVANAGERE: BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal on Sunday alleged that a conspiracy has been hatched to bring down the state government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and claimed that Rs 1,200 crore has been earmarked for the purpose.
He told reporters here that leaders from both BJP and Congress are part of this joint conspiracy. “I have information on this plot,” Yatnal claimed, adding that some sections within BJP are thinking of Operation Lotus, though the BJP high command is not interested.
“Some people have even kept aside funds for the operation and are eyeing the CM’s chair. The state government is mired in corruption and Siddaramaiah may be jailed in the MUDA case. I had requested Siddaramaiah to resign from the CM’s post when the MUDA incident came up. By going to the people’s representatives’ court and the high court, Siddaramaiah has lost his image. Even if he had not gone to the HC, the issue would have been probed,” he said.
He said the state government has gone bankrupt and it is finding it difficult to fund the guarantees and pay staff salaries. “But Congress MLAs are more inclined towards bringing down the Siddaramaiah government. No one is stating this openly. In the MUDA case, we were handed documents by Congress leaders, and we just spoke. BJP has nothing to do with this struggle,” he alleged.
“The state government has already become corrupt and it should not continue in office. It was thought that Siddaramaiah would resign after the governor sanctioned his prosecution, and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge would become CM. The same people who are planning to destabilise the government are behind the plot to make Kharge CM,” he charged.
Meanwhile, Yatnal said the team opposing state BJP president BY Vijayendra will not speak till December, as they are waiting for the party top brass’ decision about their demands, which they have expressed before leaders of the Sangh Parivar in Karnataka.