BJP Karnataka President BY Vijayendra challenged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to disclose the source and show proof of his allegations that the BJP tried to bribing 50 Congress MLAs with Rs 50 crore each. Vijayendra accused the chief minister of undermining his own party by leveling baseless accusations, saying Siddaramaiah’s statements would lose credibility if he did not provide evidence.

He also criticized the allegation as an insult to the democratic system, suggesting it presented MPs as commodities for sale. “This is nothing more than a childish political statement,” Vijayendra said, demanding an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate into the allegation.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s claim that the BJP had tried to destabilize the state government has triggered a wave of reactions from the Congress and the opposition BJP.

Former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai joined the chorus of BJP leaders dismissing the allegations as a political tactic, accusing Siddaramaiah of being desperate to retain power amid corruption scandals. “He is making false allegations to save his chair,” Bommai said, urging the chief minister to provide proof for his claims.

BJP MP and deputy leader of the Opposition Aravind Bellad also spoke, terming the accusation a misappropriation of the government’s failures. He stressed 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 MPs. Let them govern well and we will face them in the next elections,” Bellad said.

BJP leader and former minister CT Ravi dismissed the claims as “false” and accused the Congress of using lies as a political tool. Ravi sarcastically questioned the integrity of the Congress MLAs, wondering if 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 aimed at securing gain.

CONGRESS SUPPORTS SIDDARAMAIAH

On the other hand, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar supported Siddaramaiah’s claim. He said the BJP had indeed tried to lure the Congress MLAs with bribes of Rs 50 crore each, citing the reports of the MLAs themselves who briefed the chief minister about the so-called ‘Operation Lotus » orchestrated by the BJP. “Siddaramaiah’s statement is based on credible information from our own MLAs,” Shivakumar asserted, strengthening the Congress party’s position.

Siddaramaiah himself reiterated his claims at 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 impeach him and destabilize his government.

Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar highlighted earlier comments made by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his son HD Kumaraswamy regarding similar attempts to poach MPs. “BJP’s tactics to destabilize the government continue,” Sudhakar remarked, asserting that the party would respond decisively.

Home Minister G Parameshwara also echoed his support to the chief minister, saying Siddaramaiah’s statements were backed by reliable information. He accused the BJP of trying to destabilize the democratically elected Congress government through backdoor tactics.