'HDK took Rs 10 crore from BJP for Basavakalyan nominee'

Former minister B Z Zameer Ahmed alleged on Monday that former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had taken Rs 10 crore from the BJP, so as to put up a candidate from the JD(S) for the byelection to the Basavakalyan Assembly seat.

Of the Rs 10 crore, Kumaraswamy had given Rs 2 crore to the candidate, the Chamarajpet Congress MLA said at a party campaign meeting in Basavakalyan.

Zameer said Kumaraswamy had become an agent of the BJP.

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He said the JD(S) had taken Syed Yasrab Ali Quadri, who was with the Congress, into its fold and fielded him for the byelection, in a bid to split the Muslim votes and thus help the BJP.

The former minister sought to know as to how the party fielded a bypoll candidate only for the Basavakalyan seat, while leaving out the Maski Assembly constituency and the Belgaum Lok Sabha seat.

"Kumaraswamy had earlier announced that his party was not going to field candidates for the byelections, saying the party had no money. Where has the money come from, suddenly?" Zameer said.