'BJP offered Rs 2.5 cr to Cong corporator'

Congress corporator-elect Padmavathi’s husband Amarnath on Friday charged a senior BJP leader with offering Rs 2.5 crore to his wife to hop over to the saffron party.

Amarnath told Deccan Herald that the BJP leader had spoken to him on Tuesday and offered Rs one crore as the first instalment. Besides, the leader promised to help his wife get re-elected from the BJP in the bypoll. “The leader spoke to me briefly and made the offer. He asked me to think about it and get back soon,” he added.

He, however, did not reveal the name of the BJP leader. Padmavathi is the Congress corporator-elect from Chowdeshwari ward.

Amarnath, a former corporator, said another BJP leader from Byatarayanapura had called him twice last Saturday and Sunday and offered to help him financially. The leader, whom Amarnath called his one-time political mentor, first enquired about the money spent on the Palike election. On learning that he had borrowed money, the leader said the BJP was ready to help him clear the loan, provided his wife resigned as corporator. He, however, said he had not recorded the call details of his conversation with the BJP leaders.

HDK-KPCC chief to meet today?

A meeting between State Congress chief G Parameshwara and JD (S) leader H D Kumaraswamy did not happen even on Friday. Sources in the Congress said the two leaders might meet on Saturday evening. The Congress leader is learnt to have already spoken to Kumaraswamy over the phone.