‘Operation Kamala’: BJP Offering Rs 100 Crore To Congress MLAs To Destablise Karnataka Government

A Congress leader on Sunday claimed that BJP is attempting to destabilize the Siddaramaiah -led government as the saffron party under 'Operation Kamala', has "offered" Rs 100 crore to ruling party MLAs to switch sides. Congress MLA from Mandya Ravikumar Gowda (Ravi Ganiga) alleged that attempts are on by the BJP to destabilize the government through purchasing MLAs. BJP brokers contacting Congress MLAs but no legislator will fall for it. They want to destabilize, as Congress is strong in Karnataka. "We are collecting evidence, we will give it to ED, CBI, we want to catch them with the bag of cash,” he said. "Someone had called me the day before yesterday, I told him to keep Rs 100 crore with himself, I thought of complaining to ED. Every day BJP plans to dislodge our government, but our government is stable and the CM is strong. From Rs 50 crore, they (BJP) have now gone to Rs 100 crore offer. I have the audio of the person who called me, we will release it at the right time.”

Gowda accused BJP national General Secretary Organisation B L Santhosh, Union Ministers Shobha Karnadlaje, Pralhad Joshi and H D Kumaraswamy (of JDS) of working as a "gang" to destabilise the Congress government in the state. With 136 MLAs the Congress government is "strong like a rock", there is a popular CM, who is pro-poor, and no one can dislodge it, he further said. "But these people have promised PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and are walking around to topple the government."

Gowda had claimed that BJP tried in October 2023 also to lure Congress legislators with offers of Rs 50 crore and ministerial positions. He had said that four legislators have been contacted, and there is evidence for this statement. A few weeks ago, senior Congress leader KC Venugopal said the Congress would unitedly fight against the BJP and JD (S)'s "attempts to destabilize" the Siddaramaiah government and there will be no change in the leadership in Karnataka. It is not just the central leadership, the entire state of Karnataka Congress under the leadership of Deputy CM DK Shivkumar is strongly backing Siddaramaiah, he added. Venugopal further said on Saturday that Congress will expose the BJP’s conspiracy to target Siddaramaiah using the Governor’s office.