The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has offered ₹50 crore each to 50 Congress MLAs to secure defections as part of “Operation Lotus”, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said on Thursday, a day after Siddaramaiah accused the Opposition of trying to destabilise the Congress government in Karnataka.
Defending Siddaramaiah’s accusation, state Congress president said: “The BJP indeed lured 50 Congress MLAs with ₹50 crore each.”
He further said that multiple Congress MLAs had directly informed the chief minister about the alleged bribery attempts.
Siddaramaiah on Wednesday alleged that BJP leaders shifted tactics after the alleged bribery failed, resorting to “false cases” against him, such as the ongoing probe by the Lokayukta into the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment case.
“The BJP had offered to pay ₹50 crore each to 50 MLAs to topple my government. But the plan fell flat as our legislators did not take the bait. Now, where did the BJP get so much money for bribing? Did Yediyurappa, Bommai, Ashoks or Vijayendra print the currency? It is all illegal money,” Siddaramaiah said at a public meeting in Mysuru.
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He added that the BJP’s actions were aimed at damaging his reputation by implicating him in what he called “false cases.”
This accusation comes amid Karnataka’s political history of “Operation Lotus,” a term originating in 2008, when the BJP allegedly lured legislators from rival parties to cross the floor, allowing them to take control of the state government.
The most notable instance took in 2019 when the JD(S)-Congress coalition government fell after 17 MLAs defected, allegedly under BJP influence, giving way for a BJP-led administration under Yediyurappa. Congress, currently holding a majority of 137 seats in the assembly.
In response to the accusations, BJP state president BY Vijayendra dismissed Siddaramaiah’s claims as “unfounded” and challenged him to disclose the identities of leaders who offered bribes and the MLAs who were approached.
“You (Siddaramaiah) seem to have lost faith in your legislators and hence making baseless allegations that your MLAs are getting sold for ₹50 crore. This is an insult to democracy and also the legislators, as they are being described as commodities. It is also a serious offence that calls for an ED investigation,” Vijayendra said.
He further suggested that Siddaramaiah’s statements were politically motivated attempts to control his own party members and distract from ongoing issues surrounding his administration.
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Vijayendra also asserted that, as chief minister, Siddaramaiah is responsible for investigating these allegations using the state’s resources.
“As you occupy a responsible position as the chief minister, it is your moral duty to expose the source of such inducement offered to your MLAs. You have the investigating agencies under you to conduct the probe. So, stop making politically immature statements and undermine the dignity of your post,” he added.
When questioned about Vijayendra’s remarks, Siddaramaiah declined to respond directly, stating, “I will not comment on him. Why do you ask me about the person who came (into politics) just recently?”
Amid the escalating political feud, Siddaramaiah defended his government’s flagship guarantee schemes, arguing that these initiatives have benefitted economically marginalised groups in Karnataka, which he claimed was making the BJP uneasy.
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“The poor, farmers, women and labourers, SC/ST and minorities have got justice through our guarantee schemes. And the BJP is unable to digest this and wants to remove me by making up false cases against me. But the people of Karnataka will not spare anybody who dares to ‘touch’ (mess with) me,” Siddaramaiah said while implying that these social welfare policies led to BJP’s alleged attempts to unseat him.