"BJP Offered 30 Crores To Quit", Says Lawmaker Of HD Kumaraswamy's Party

A Janata Dal (Secular) lawmaker, K Srinivasa Gowda, has alleged that the BJP offered him Rs 30 crore to resign from the HD Kumaraswamy-led party.

He added that he accepted the Rs 5 crore advance paid to him by the BJP.

"BJP's CN Ashwathnarayan, SR Vishwanath and CP Yogeshwara came to my home, offered me Rs 30 crore and gave Rs 5 crore in advance. They wanted me to resign from the JD(S). I told them I am loyal to the party and will never do it. I spoke to HD Kumaraswamy and told them to take back that money (the Rs 5 crore-advance)," Mr Gowda said.

The Congress had alleged yesterday that BJP Karnataka chief BS Yeddyurappa had offered a total of around Rs 200 crore to 18 Congress MLAs in an attempt to destabilise the ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition government in the state.

Ever since the Congress-JD(S) jointly formed the government in Karnataka in May last year, there have been murmurs of resentment among them.

In the 224-member Karnataka Legislative Assembly, the BJP has 104 seats, while the JD(S) has 37 seats and Congress, 80.