Kumaraswamy accuses BJP of offering 100 crores

Bengaluru: Speaking at the JD(S) Legislative Party meeting, State President of the party H.D. Kumaraswamy alleged the BJP of offering 100 crores to his party members, as a price for the tie up of the two parties. He warned the BJP of grave consequenses if it tried ‘Operation Kamala’ another time and accused the party of indulging in “horse trading”. ‘Operation Kamala’ is a reference to the BJP’s method, when it fell short of majority in the 2008 Assembly elections. The BJP had then forced several JD(S) and Congress MLAs to resign from the assembly membership and later, contest on a BJP tivket.

When asked about the exchange of criticism between the Congress and the JD(S) during the time of campaigning, Kumaraswamy trivialised it saying that it was quite natural in politics to do so. He pointed that B.S. Yeddyurappa was once a harsh critic of the BJP, but was now its Chief Ministerial candidate. In the party meeting, Kumaraswamy was elected as the leader of the Legislative Party. In just one day, the party’s State President went from being the ‘king maker’ forced to ally with other parties to ensure victory, to becoming the ‘king’ himself by means of the offer proposed by the Congress