BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Friday has flared up a major political controversy in Karnataka, alleging that he was asked him to pay a Rs 2,500 crore bribe to become Chief Minister.
While addressing a rally of Panchamasali community in Ramdurg of Belagavi district on Friday, the BJP MLA said, “A few people from Delhi, who said that they were close to Congress President and BJP President asked me to pay Rs 2,500 crore to become Chief Minister. They said they would take me to meet JP Nadda. But, I refused. I told them that I had no idea how much money Rs 2,500 crore would be? Where will they keep such big amounts of money?”
Reacting to Yatnal’s statement, KPCC president DK Shivakumar said that the charges must be taken seriously.
“Yatnal has said that to become a Chief Minister he was asked to pay Rs 2,500 crore and to become a Minister Rs 100 crore. Yatnal was a former union minister and his statement can’t be taken casually. This should be debated nationally,” Shivakumar said.
Yatnal also alleged that there is “adjustment politics” between top political leaders of Karnataka from different parties like BJP’s B S Yediyurappa, Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar of Congress, and H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S).
“I have said in the assembly too that all you leaders sitting in the front seats have adjustment. All of you Yediyurappa, Siddaramaiah, D K Shivakumar, and Kumaraswamy speak at night,” the Vijayapura MLA said.
