Bribing MLAs: Siddaramaiah dares BJP to come clean

Former Karnataka chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday challenged the BJP to come clean on its alleged attempts to bribe his party MLAs to destabilise the coalition government in the state.

The Congress leaders are locked in a war of attrition with the BJP ever since the ministry was recently expanded and reshuffled, amid reports that the saffron party was in touch with disgruntled MLAs who missed ministerial berths.

"I am not indulging in a blame game with the BJP in connection with attempts to bribe the MLAs. There is a basis behind the statement. Is it not true that they (BJP) made an offer to B C Patil? When the time is ripe, I will disclose a few more things," Siddaramaiah said in a tweet.

Two days ago, the leader of the Congress Legislature Party had alleged that the BJP had made a fresh attempt to topple the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government by offering Rs 25 to 30 crore to the legislators.

Rubbishing the charge, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president B S Yeddyurappa had asked Siddaramaiah to speak responsibly and provide evidence to back his charge.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara too had on Tuesday accused the BJP of making a fresh bid to topple the government, claiming that efforts were underway to arrange a meeting of his party's disgruntled MLAs with BJP president Amit Shah.

Parameshwara's charge had come amid reports that aggrieved Congress MLA, Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was dropped from the ministry in the recent reshuffle, was camping in Delhi.

Jarkiholi, who claims to have the support of a significant number of Congress MLAs, has remained incommunicado since he was removed from the ministry.