K'taka CM Accuses BJP of Luring MLAs with Crores, But Proof Remains Elusive

In a controversial statement on Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of offering Rs 50 crore each to 50 Congress MLAs in a bid to overthrow his government. 

The allegations, made during the inauguration of projects worth Rs 470 crore in the T Narasipura assembly constituency in Mysuru, have raised doubts given the absence of concrete evidence to support the claim.

Siddaramaiah further suggested that the BJP resorted to filing false cases against him after his party members rejected the offer.

He questioned the source of the alleged bribe money, asking, "Where did they get so much money from?" and implying that former Chief Ministers B S Yediyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai, and other BJP leaders might have "printed" the money. However, no proof has been presented to validate these accusations, leaving the claims open to scepticism.

The CM also criticized the BJP for allegedly targeting non-BJP state leaders with agencies like the Income Tax, CBI, and Enforcement Directorate. Yet, this broad allegation lacks specific details and raises questions about whether these claims are politically motivated.

On the issue of a separate case involving him, Siddaramaiah dismissed the allegations of corruption, stating it was "100% false" and asserting that he has maintained a clean record over his four-decade political career. However, the accusations concerning the MUDA site allotment scam, which involves his wife and brother-in-law, remain unresolved, further fueling the doubts surrounding the matter.

Deputy CM D K Shivakumar supported Siddaramaiah’s claims, saying the BJP had indeed tried to "lure" Congress MLAs with money. Yet, the lack of substantial evidence makes these statements difficult to verify, with many questioning the motivations behind such sweeping claims.

Meanwhile, BJP challenges CM Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra challenged Siddaramaiah to disclose the source of his allegation that Rs 50 crore bribe each was offered to 50 Congress MLAs.

He said the chief minister had lost faith in his own MLAs and, hence, was levelling false allegation. If Siddaramaiah fails to prove that money was offered to the MLAs, then people will not take him seriously anymore, he added.