BSY gave me Rs 1,000 cr: Disqualified MLA

Mandya: In yet another setback to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, disqualified Karnataka MLA Narayana Gowda on Tuesday, November 5 said that the latter had given him Rs 1,000 crore for the development of his Krishnarajpet constituency and the money was being spent for development works.

Addressing supporters here Narayana Gowda said, “Somebody came to me and took me to BS Yediyurappa’s residence at 5 am (before the HD Kumaraswamy government fell). When we entered his home, Yediyurappa was worshipping. Once I entered, he asked me to sit and asked me to support him so that he can become the chief minister once again.”

He further claimed, “I asked him to allot Rs 700 crores for the development of Krishnarajpet constituency. He said he will give Rs 1,000 crores and provided that money afterwards. Don’t you think I should support such a great person,” Gowda added.

It may be recalled that a purported audio clip of Yediyurappa expressing anguish against leaders at a recent party meeting in Hubballi over their opposition to giving tickets to disqualified Congress-JD(S) MLAs for the December 5 assembly bypolls in 15 assembly constituencies had surfaced on Friday last.

In the audio, he is purportedly saying that the rebel Congress JD(S) MLAs, who were later disqualified, were kept in Mumbai during the final days of the coalition government under BJP national President Amit Shah’s watch.

He had purportedly hit out at party leaders for lack of support in “saving” the BJP government and not recognizing their “sacrifice”, behind party coming to power.

The top court had on October 25 reserved verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the disqualification of 17 Karnataka MLAs before the trust vote moved by the previous H D Kumaraswamy government.