Barely hours ahead of the much-awaited confidence vote in Karnataka, which saw dramatic turns upset the BJP's applecart, the Congress released incriminating tapes alleging that BJP leaders in the state offered Congress MLAs money and cushy portfolios in exchange of withdrawing their support to the Congress-JD (S) alliance.
In the three sensational tapes that the party released on social media outlets on Saturday ahead of the trust vote, CM BS Yeddyurappa, party's state president Muralidhar Rao and strongman Sriramulu were heard asking Congress MLAs to support the BJP in exchange of money and portfolios.
The party says that it will now file cases against the BJP leaders. "We will pursue this and we will file cases against all the BJP leaders who feature in the tapes, including BS Yeddyurappa, Sriramulu, and Muralidhar Rao. There is prima facie evidence against them, in which they are trying to bribe the MLAs. This is an important matter and shows how the BJP is trampling on the democratic ideals of the country," said Srivatsa YB, Congress's social media president in Karnataka, who released the tapes.
In one of the audio tapes that the party released, the party alleged that BS Yeddyurappa offered Hirekerur MLA BC Patil a ministership and whatever he wants if he did not head out of Bengaluru. The MLAs were then travelling in a bus to Hyderabad. "Don't go to Kochi, come back. We'll make you a minister and help you in whatever way you want," Yeddyurappa was heard saying.
In another tape, Sriramulu and Muralidhar Rao were also heard speaking to Patil, offering him money and promising him a ministry. In the tape, Sriramulu was heard assuring him that there will not be any re-election because of anti-defection. "Like in Andhra and Telangana, there won't be any disqualification of MLAs. So you don't have to worry about Election," he was heard speaking.
On Friday, the party released a tape where Janardhan Reddy was heard offering Congress MLA Basanagouda Daddal "a meeting with BJP national president, a ministry and wealth a 100 times more than the assets you have made so far."
Rubbishing the tapes union minister Prakash Javadekar called them "false propaganda". "There is a reference to Amit Shah in that tape, Shah doesn't do these things. This are just lies; Congress is now exposed," he said.
