BJP offered Rs 50 cr to Cong MLAs to destabilise K’taka govt says Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru, April 13,2024: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday accused BJP of trying to destabilise his government through ‘Operation Lotus’, by offering Rs 50 crore to Congress MLAs to switch sides. “They have been trying to destabilise my government for the past year. Rs 50 crore was offered to our MLAs. They tried and failed,” Siddaramaiah said in an interview. Despite these alleged attempts, not a single MLA will leave the Congress.
Moreover, the Chief Minister anticipated the possibility of a coalition government without the BJP’s involvement. He perceived an “undercurrent” that is against the BJP, suggesting a potential shift in public sentiment that could influence the election outcome. Siddaramaiah also expressed optimism about the Congress party’s performance in Lok Sabha election in Karnataka. He stated that the Congress will maintain the same level of support from
voters as they did in the previous assembly election. The Chief Minister and Congress party are banking on their existing voter base and the work done by their administration to secure a similar vote share. The elections to 28 parliamentary seats in Karnataka will be held in two phases, on April 26 and May 7. The BJP had a dominant performance in the 2019 general elections, winning 25 out of the 28 seats in the state, while the Congress managed to secure only one seat.