Former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy
Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Karnataka chief minister, HD Kumaraswamy is in a spot after surfacing of an audio CD in which he is purportedly discussing cash-for-seat with the supporters of an MLC seat aspirant.
The conversation, it appears, is between Mr Kumaraswamy and some party leaders discussing who to elect as MLC given one seat has gone vacant in the state.
Mr Kumaraswamy, however, defended himself, saying he'd done nothing wrong and he was ready for a probe.
"I haven't done anything wrong, haven't taken any money. If anyone wants further probe, I welcome it," he said on Sunday.
Mr Kumaraswamy's defence drew flak from the BJP.
"It's unfortunate that a former chief minister is talking like this. Horse-trading is the biggest problem, we must bring it to an end by systemic changes," BJP leader Ananth Kumar said.
In the CD whose clips were played on Kannada TV channels, Mr Kumaraswamy, son of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, is purportedly heard telling the supporters of MLC seat aspirant, "Each MLA (of JDS) is asking for one crore. They are saying you make anybody the MLC..."
At another point, Mr Kumaraswamy was heard saying, "40 people (JDS MLAs) are asking for 40 crore... This is my fate."
Hitting out at Mr Kumaraswamy, Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah said, "Mistake is a mistake. Corruption is corruption. If he (Kumaraswamy) says other parties are also doing it, it is not a defence at all."