BJP offering money to lure party MLAs: Cong

Bangalore, October 18: The Congress in Karnataka today charged the ruling BJP with offering money to the tune of Rs 50 crore to its MLAs to engineer defection and threatened to launch a state-wide stir to expose the horse trading.

Opposition Congress leader in the state Assembly Siddaramaiah alleged that 53 of its 73 MLAs have been offered money and a ministerial berth by BJP leaders."None of our MLAs are ready to defect.We are all united. Some MLAs whom the BJP leaders contacted over phone have recorded the conversation.We will soon make them public," Siddaramaiah told reporters after presiding over the Legislature Party meeting here.Rahim Khan, MLA from Bidar, alleged he was also contacted by BJP men.

Siddaramaiah said the meeting condemned the reported call given by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and BJP state unit President K S Eswarappa to convert the minority status of its govenment to a majority.

PTI - Oct 18,2010