Siddaramaiah Claims BJP Offered Rs 50 Crore To 50 Congress MLAs In Karnataka, Says 'None Of Them Agreed'

Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of threatening the chief ministers of all the non-BJP ruled states through Income Tax, CBI, and ED.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah claimed that the BJP offered money to Congress MLAs to overthrow his government.

Source : PTI

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday levelled massive allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying that the party offered Rs 50 crore each to 50 Congress MLAs to overthrow his government. He further claimed that the BJP resorted to filing false cases against him after none of the Congress MLAs agreed to BJP's Rs 50 crore offer.

Siddaramaiah made the allegations while addressing a gathering after inaugurating projects worth Rs 470 crore in the T Narasipura assembly constituency in Mysuru district.

"To overthrow the Siddaramaiah government somehow, they (BJP) offered Rs 50 crore to 50 MLAs. Where did they get so much money from? Did former Chief Ministers B S Yediyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra print the money?" Siddaramaiah asked, calling the alleged funds "bribe money".

"They have made crores of rupees. Using the money, they offered Rs 50 crore to each MLA...But none of our MLAs agreed for it this time. That’s why they have started a campaign to remove this government somehow. That’s why they are doing it (filing false cases)," the chief minister alleged. 

Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of threatening the chief ministers of all the non-BJP ruled states through Income Tax, CBI, and Enforcement Directorate.

'100 % False': Siddaramaiah On MUDA Case

Referring to the case against him, his wife Parvathi B M, and brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy in connection with the MUDA site allotment scam, Siddaramaiah said it was 100 per cent false.

He stated that he has not had any stains on him since he became a minister 40 years ago, ad even when he served as the leader of opposition and Deputy CM twice.  

"Today they (BJP) have filed a false case saying that Siddaramaiah and his wife have taken 14 sites. Do Siddaramaiah require politics for 14 sites? They (opposition) think people are fool. So long as I have the blessings of people, I will not yield or get cowed," he said.

The Karnataka CM further alleged that the BJP and its ally JD(S) framed false cases against him based on baseless allegations and misused their powers by using the ED and the Governor. "They tried this (misusing agencies) on many people. They did it on Soren (Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren), Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and now they are trying on me," he said.

According to Siddaramaiah, he was "framed" because he introduced five guarantees for the benefit of the poor in the state. 

Recalling the elections in 2008 and 2019, he claimed that the BJP came to power twice through the backdoor since it did not have people's mandate. He accused the BJP of paying Rs 30 crore to buy 17 MLAs-- three from the JD(S) and 14 from the Congress  to come to power in 2019.

"They gave Rs 30 crore to each MLA. Where did they get so much money? Isn’t it corruption money? On the other hand, Congress got 120 seats in 2013 and 136 seats in 2023," Siddaramaiah said.

(With inputs from news agency PTI)