In a startling claim, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to bribe 50 Congress MLAs with Rs 50 crore each to topple the Congress government in the state.
Speaking at an event in T Narasipura in Mysuru on Wednesday, November 13, Siddaramaiah alleged that the BJP sought to destabilise the government with bribes, which, he said, were rejected by Congress MLAs.
“To overthrow the Siddaramaiah government, they offered Rs 50 crore to 50 MLAs. Where did they get so much money from? Did former Chief Ministers BS Yediyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka, BJP state president BY Vijayendra print the money?” Siddaramaiah questioned. He added that the money came from alleged bribes accumulated by BJP leaders, which they offered in a failed attempt to lure Congress MLAs.
"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)," he further said.
Since May 2023, Congress has held power in Karnataka with 135 seats in the 224-seat Assembly, marking a historic win with the highest seat count for a single party since 1989. The BJP won 66 seats, while the JD(S) secured 19.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who also serves as Congress state president, supported Siddaramaiah’s allegations, claiming that the BJP did indeed try to bribe 50 Congress MLAs with Rs 50 crore each. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Shivakumar referred to this alleged attempt as part of the BJP’s ongoing ‘Operation Lotus’ — a term used to describe efforts by the BJP to destabilise state governments through political defections and financial inducements.
In response, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra countered Siddaramaiah's accusations and challenged him to prove and reveal his source of allegations. He said, “The Chief Minister has lost faith in his own MLAs and is levelling false allegations…You have your own government and your own investigative agencies. Hence, it is your moral responsibility to reveal to the people the source of the Rs 50 crore bribe charge. Otherwise, your statement will be nothing more than a childish political statement,” he said.
He also accused Siddaramaiah of insulting the democratic process by suggesting that legislators could be bought. Vijayendra called for an immediate investigation by the Directorate of Enforcement and suggested that Siddaramaiah’s allegations could be an attempt to maintain control over his party’s MLAs and divert attention from ongoing corruption cases.