Charging that senior BJP leaders with trying to poach its MLAs with large sums of money and other inducements, the state unit of the Congress lodged a complaint against the saffron party with the Income Tax department on Friday.
The Congress has sought the department to investigate the source of the money and initiate action against leaders, including BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa, MP Shobha Karandlaje, MLAs Ashwathanarayana and Satish Reddy and party leader C P Yogeeshwara, for trying to lure its MLAs.
In a letter addressed to Income Tax Commissioner, Karnataka and Goa Circle, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao has said that the BJP was making efforts to dislodge the coalition government by adopting “illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional” methods.
“At a time when the coalition government is running smoothly, the state BJP, headed by Yeddyurappa, and other prominent leaders are approaching MLAs C S Shivalli (Kundgol), Basanagouda Daddal (Raichur Rural), B C Patil (Hirekerur) and others by offering cash and other inducements. These facts are widely published in both the print and electronic media. We request the department to take action against the BJP leaders and set the law into motion to prosecute them in the interest of democracy,” the letter states.
KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre, who handed over the representation to the I-T commissioner, later told reporters that the BJP was also trying to use middlemen to lure family members of the Congress MLAs by offering them money.
“The BJP will go to any extent. It is desperate to come to power. However, there is no threat to the coalition government. The Congress MLAs will not defect to the BJP at any cost,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister G Parameshwara said there were reports that MLAs were being offered Rs 50 crore or Rs 100 crore.
"The Congress will lodge complaints based on these media reports. I'm confident that the IT department will carry out a detailed probe into BJP's Operation Kamala (Lotus)," he added.
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