BJP rejects ‘Rs 50 crore for 50 MLAs’ allegation, wants Congress to prove claim

BJP Karnataka President BY Vijayendra challenged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to disclose the source and show proof of his allegations that the BJP attempted to bribe 50 Congress MLAs with Rs 50 crore each. Vijayendra accused the Chief Minister of undermining his own party by levelling baseless accusations, claiming that Siddaramaiah’s statements would lose credibility if he failed to provide evidence.
He also criticised the allegation as an insult to the democratic system, suggesting that it portrayed MLAs as commodities for sale. “This is nothing more than a childish political statement,” Vijayendra said, demanding an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate into the claim.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s claim that the BJP attempted to destabilise the state government has sparked a wave of reactions from both, the Congress and the Opposition BJP.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai joined the chorus of BJP leaders dismissing the allegation as a political tactic, accusing Siddaramaiah of being desperate to hold onto power amid corruption scandals. “He is making false allegations to save his chair,” Bommai stated, urging the Chief Minister to provide proof of his claims.
BJP MLA and Deputy Opposition Leader Aravind Bellad also weighed in, labelling the accusation as a deflection from the government’s failures. He emphasised that the Congress had won a mandate with 138 seats and should focus on governance rather than baseless political accusations. “We are not interested in their MLAs. Let them govern well, and we will face them in the next election,” Bellad said.
BJP leader and former minister CT Ravi dismissed the claims as “fake” and accused the Congress of using lies as a political tool. Ravi sarcastically questioned the integrity of Congress MLAs, asking whether they were so weak that they could be easily bought. “Show proof of who tried to buy whom,” he demanded, calling the allegations against the BJP a political ploy for gain.
On the other side, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar backed Siddaramaiah’s claim. He stated that the BJP had indeed attempted to lure Congress MLAs with bribes of Rs 50 crore each, citing reports from the MLAs themselves who informed the Chief Minister about the alleged “Operation Lotus” orchestrated by the BJP. “Siddaramaiah’s statement is based on credible information from our own MLAs,” Shivakumar asserted, reinforcing the Congress party’s position.
Siddaramaiah himself reiterated his claim during an event in Mysuru, clarifying that none of the Congress MLAs had accepted the BJP’s offers. He also accused the BJP of filing false cases against him in a bid to remove him from office and destabilise his government.
Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar pointed to previous comments made by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his son HD Kumaraswamy regarding similar attempts to poach MLAs. “BJP’s tactics to destabilise the government have been ongoing,” Sudhakar remarked, asserting that the party would respond decisively.
Home Minister G Parameshwara also echoed support for the Chief Minister, asserting that Siddaramaiah’s statements were backed by reliable information. He accused the BJP of trying to destabilise the democratically elected Congress government through backdoor tactics.