Mysuru: In an explosive revelation which hinted at the massive amounts of money being allegedly offered to lure legislators soon after two Congress MLAs resigned from the state Assembly, the JD(S) MLA from Periyapatna Assembly constituency in Mysuru, K Mahadev has claimed that dissident Gokak Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi demanded Rs 80 crore to remain with the Congress-JD (S) coalition, right in front of him. Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi could not be reached for comment.
Mr Mahadev also alleged that opposition BJP representatives brought Rs 30 crore to Rs 40 crore to his cabin "thrice" and offered it, if he was prepared to join the saffron party. "But I refused and asked them to take the money back, or else I would inform the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)", he claimed. The MLA was speaking after laying the foundation stone for developmental works at the SC/ST Colony at Chittenahalli in Periyapatna taluk on Tuesday. A video of him making the claims went viral Wednesday.
Continuing in the same vein, Mr Mahadev said, "When we die, we get buried in soil, not in money, So I have decided not to sell myself for money, else I could have taken that money and settled somewhere, deserting Periyapatna and politics. Rs 40 crore is not a small amount, in fact we would not know how to even spend it. So a vicious atmosphere has been created in politics, youth should not pay heed to it or get distracted. It is no doubt a tough task for the CM to keep everyone together with media reports suggesting that legislators are being lured with huge amounts and could stay or resign," he said.
Later Mr Mahadev clarified to the media that rumours that he was planning to quit JD(S) and was keen to join BJP were not true. "I will continue to be in the JD (S) led by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Mr H.D. Deve Gowda (JD- supremo) as long as I am in politics, or else I will retire," he said.
