Rs 15 crore dangled to lure rebel MLA: Byre Gowda

BENGALURU: Minister Krishna Byre Gowda alleged in the Assembly on Monday that Rs 15 crore was used as a bait to lure a ruling party MLA. To prove his allegation, Gowda read out of a transcript of a phone call conversation between Hirekerur MLA B C Patil and a person from the opposition.

Byre Gowda alleged that if the MLA wanted only money, then he was offered Rs 15 crore and if he wanted a minister’s post, then he would be paid Rs 5 crore and made a minister. Gowda also said the person from the opposition assured Patil and the other rebels that the state will not see another election. Gowda said the caller told Patil that his party was in power at the Centre and would also prove its majority in the state too.

Intervening, BJP leader Jagadish Shettar objected to Gowda’s statement and said the person in question was not present in the House to defend himself. To this, Speaker Ramesh Kumar shot back saying the member was elected to be present in the House.