JD(S) MLA alleges BJP leader tried to bribe him

A ruling JD(S) MLA in Karnataka Monday alleged that a local BJP leader attempted to lure him to defect to the party with an offer of a ministerial berth.

Sakaleshpur JD(S) MLA H K Kumaraswamy claimed that the leader tried to lure him to break away from his party and join BJP Speaking to reporters at his residence, he said the man made the offer of a ministerial berth to him through his wife Chanchala, a district panchayat member.

Chanchala said the man said her husband deserved a ministerial post as he had won the assembly elections six times She alleged that he even offered money, but they refused.

The MLA demanded that people who make such attempts be brought to book. On September 14, the chief minister H D Kumraswamy had alleged that BJP has employed certain 'kingpins' who have been contacting MLAs to topple the coalition government.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Govind Karjol dismissed the charges by JD(S) and Congress that BJP was striving to topple the government and said there no need for them to do so as it would collapse on its own due to internal conflicts.

He, however, asserted that given a chance, his party was ready to form the government.

"We did not take away any of them (MLAs of the coalition government). There is no need for us to do so. We are content with the 104 MLAs in our party. We will play the role of a constructive opposition," he told reporters at Bagalkote.