The Congress in Karnataka has filed a police complaint accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to ‘buy’ MLAs ahead of next week’s elections to fill the state’s four Rajya Sabha seats.
The Congress, which defeated the BJP in last year’s assembly elections, has alleged that two independent MLAs and two other MLAs from local parties have been offered several crores of rupees. The ruling party claimed that two independents and at least one of the other two were ready to support its candidates.
BJP has rejected Congress’s allegations.
The dispute over the four seats – which are falling vacant on April 2 – broke out when Kupendra Reddy of the Janata Dal (Secular), which is in alliance with the BJP, was fielded as the second and fifth overall candidate.
The Congress currently holds three of the four seats and has chosen to retain Syed Naseer Hussain, while giving Dalit writer L Hanumanthaiah’s seat to former Union minister Ajay Maken. Meanwhile, BJP has given the seat of Union Minister Rajiv Chandrashekhar to Narayan Bhandge.
The dispute is over the fourth seat – currently held by Congress’s GC Chandrashekhar, which the Congress was expected to retain without any problem as it felt it had enough numbers to do so.
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In Karnataka, any party needs 46 MLAs to send one of its leaders to Rajya Sabha.
The Congress has 135 MLAs in the assembly and claims the support of two independent MLAs and a third – Darshan Puttannaiah of the Sarvodaya Karnataka party – which is enough to help it retain its three seats that fell vacant in this round.
If those three do not support the Congress, it may lose the seat to the BJP-JDS, which jointly have 85 MLAs. Both of them do not have enough numbers on their own to win the fourth seat unopposed, but thanks to the preferential voting system, they can snatch the seat.
Congress complains that BJP-JDS fielding a fifth candidate is an indication that it will be involved in horse-trading. “The NDA has fielded a fifth candidate to promote horse-trading. We have filed a complaint (with the Bengaluru Police Commissioner) and said more information will be provided.”
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The Congress has claimed that the three independent MLAs have been contacted through middlemen, including professionals such as hotel owners and doctors. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has condemned Mr Reddy’s candidature as the BJP and JDS are trying to manipulate votes.
Meanwhile, Mr Reddy told NDTV, “These are independent MLAs (and) I have every right to ask for votes. I did not give them any money.”
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